Outpatient total knee arthroplasty: is it worth considering?
E. Carlos Rodríguez-MerchánKnee
-
Some authors have reported that outpatient total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is a successful, safe and cost-effective treatment in the management of advanced osteoarthritis.
-
The success obtained has been attributed to the coordination of the multidisciplinary team, standardized perioperative protocols, optimal hospital discharge planning and careful selection of patients.
-
One study has demonstrated a higher risk of perioperative surgical and medical outcomes in outpatient TKA than inpatient TKA, including component failure, surgical site infection, knee stiffness and deep vein thrombosis.
-
There remains a lack of universal criteria for patient selection. Outpatient TKA has thus far been performed in relatively young patients with few comorbidities.
-
It is not yet clear whether outpatient TKA is worth considering, except in very exceptional cases (young patients without associated comorbidities).
-
Outpatient TKA should not be generally recommended at the present time.
Link to article