Factors linked to readmission after total hip

Editor's Note

All-cause readmission is the only metric in widespread use, but it overlooks important information that enables readmission risk to be understood, this study finds.

Of 514,455 patients in the UK analyzed over a 10-year period, there were 30,489 all-cause readmissions, 16,499 readmissions related to the surgical site, and 4,286 readmissions that resulted in a return to the OR.

Of all readmissions, 54.1% were for surgical causes, and 14.1% resulted in a return to the OR.

Substance abuse had the strongest independent association with return-to-OR readmissions, but had no significant association with all-cause or surgical-site related readmission risks.

Other comorbidities associated with patient behavior (eg, psychoses, depression, and dementia) also had a stronger association with return-to-OR than all-cause or surgical-site related readmissions.

Though obesity is known to be a risk factor for all-cause readmission, the researchers found that the risk conferred was greater for surgical-site related and even more so for return-to-OR readmissions, with obese patients 46% more likely to require a return to the OR.  

Focusing on surgical-site related and return-to-OR readmissions may help in risk reduction and cost savings, the authors say.