A new study, to be presented at the 2016 American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons annual meeting, March 1 to 5, compared total hip arthroplasty outcomes on a risk-adjusted basis at academic and community hospitals.
Here are nine notes:
1. Researchers examined a total of 226,342 THA admissions. There were 123,579 procedures done in an academic hospital and 102,763 procedures done in a community hospital.
2. The study found there was no statistically significant difference in risk for periprosthetic joint infection between THA procedures performed in academic hospitals and those performed in community hospitals.
3. There was a greater risk of having a complication at an academic hospital.
4. The top three complications that were significantly more likely to occur at an academic hospital were deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism and peripheral vascular complication.
5. Complications that were significantly more likely to occur at a community hospital were postoperative shock, pulmonary insufficiency after surgery, general respiratory complication and bleeding.
6. In-hospital death was more likely to occur at a community hospital, although this was not statistically significant.
7. Overall mean total cost was $19,018.56 for academic and $19,947.94 for community hospitals.
8. Overall mean length of stay was 3.73 days for academic and 3.51 days for community hospitals.
9. These results indicate the complication risk profile varies for patients depending on the type of hospital in which the procedure is performed.