Outpatient total knee arthroplasty: is it worth considering?

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.