Hip resurfacing as an outpatient procedure: a comparison of overall cost and review of safety

ABSTRACT: Recent advancements in arthroplasty surgical techniques and perioperative protocols have reduced the duration of hospitalization and length of recovery, allowing surgeons to perform joint replacement as an outpatient procedure. This study aims to evaluate the cost-effectiveness and safety of outpatient hip resurfacing. Two experienced surgeons performed 485 resurfacing surgeries. We retrospectively compared clinical outcomes and patient satisfaction with published outpatient total hip results. Furthermore, we compared average insurance reimbursement with that of local inpatient hip replacement. No major complications occurred within 6 weeks. Of the 39 patients with previous inpatient experience, 37 (95%) believed their outpatient experience was superior. The average reimbursement for hip arthroplasty at local hospitals was $50,000, while the average payment for outpatient resurfacing at our surgery center was $26,000. We conclude that outpatient hip resurfacing can be accomplished safely, with high patient satisfaction, and at a tremendous financial savings to the insurer/patient. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: III ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (10.1007/s12306-020-00637-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.