The Interval of Two‐Stage Bilateral Total Hip Arthroplasty under Enhanced Recovery Affects Perioperative Complications and Cost of Hospitalization: A Retrospective Study

OBJECTIVES: Perioperative enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocols can improve the quality of healthcare and reduce hospitalization for patients who underwent total hip arthroplasty (THA). The interval of staged bilateral THA under ERAS is still unclear. We attempt to ascertain the optimal interval of staged bilateral THA for reducing the perioperative complications and the cost of hospitalization. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed patients who received staged bilateral THA under ERAS performed at West China Hospital of Sichuan University from 2018 to 2021. The staged time was divided into two groups using four different cutoff points: (1) ≤3 months versus >3 months, (2) ≤4 months versus >4 months, (3) ≤5 months versus >5 months and (4) ≤6 months versus >6 months. Primary outcomes included the rate of perioperative complications and the cost of hospitalization. The secondary outcomes were the length of hospital stay (LOS), the rates of transfusion and albumin (Alb) administration, hemoglobin (Hb) decrease and serum Alb decrease. The categorical variables were compared using chi‐squared and/or two‐tailed Fisher's exact tests, whereas continuous variables were compared using two‐tailed independent t‐tests, the continuous variables which were asymmetrical distributions used a Kruskal–Wallis test. RESULTS: With the application of ERAS, the rate of perioperative complications in the >5 months group was significantly lower than that in the ≤5 months group (13/195 vs. 45/307, p < 0.05). Concerning the cost of hospitalization, the >5 monthly intervals spent significantly less than the ≤5 monthly intervals ($ 8695.91 vs. $ 8919.71, p < 0.05). However, no significant difference was found for secondary outcomes such as the rate of transfusions and Alb administrations or decreases of Hb and Alb in the 5 months threshold. CONCLUSIONS: More than 5 months maybe a reasonable period to perform the first contralateral THA under ERAS regarding the rate of perioperative complications and the cost of hospitalization. However, more high‐quality research will include a larger sample size in the future to validate the appropriate time of staged bilateral THA.