Editor's Note Surgical site infection (SSI) risk for coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) and hip arthroplasty patients is highest in hospitals with low annual procedure volumes, yet these hospitals are excluded from quality reporting, this study finds. Even for high-volume hospitals, year-to-year variation in SSI rates makes past performance an…

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Editor's Note Early discharge of patients after total joint replacement did not increase readmission rates in this study. Of 174 patients discharged after 1 day and 285 discharged after 2 days, the readmission rates for both groups were similar−2.3% vs 2.5% at 30 days and 1.1% for both groups at…

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Editor's Note Henry Ford Health System (Detroit, Michigan) is one of dozens of organizations that have dropped out of Medicare’s bundled payment model program in the past 3 years, the November 29 Modern Healthcare reports. In 2013, three of Henry Ford Health System hospitals participated in the first phase of…

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Editor's Note Total hip outcomes such as pain, function, range of motion, and strength are different for men and women, which could lead to gender-specific rehabilitation programs, finds this study presented November 9 at the 2016 ACR/ARHP [American College of Rheumatology/Association of Rheumatology Health Professionals] Annual Meeting. Researchers from the…

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Editor's Note For older hip fracture patients, the care they received at a postacute care facility had a three to eight times greater impact on their long-term recovery than the care they received at the hospital, this study finds. Nursing home factors explained three times more variation in the odds…

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Editor's Note Total knee patients in enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) programs have less pain and recuperate faster, finds this study presented October 23 at the Anesthesiology 2016 annual meeting. The study, from Rush University Medical Center (Chicago), included 243 total knee patients, who were provided a combination of postoperative…

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Editor's Note In a study on mice, Johns Hopkins researchers have shown that a coating made with antibiotic-releasing nanofibers can prevent bacterial infections after total joint surgery. After 14 days, mice that received implants without the antibiotic coating all had bacteria in infected tissue around the joint, and 80% had…

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Editor's Note Implementing the Perioperative Surgical Home (PSH) model resulted in improved patient outcomes, patient satisfaction, and shorter hospital stays in this study presented October 22 at the Anesthesiology 2016 annual meeting. The study included 1,356 patients who had total knee, hip, or shoulder replacements. Half received care under the…

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Editor's Note The Joint Commission on October 18 announced that Ohio Specialty Surgical Suites in North Canton, Ohio, is the first ambulatory surgical center to achieve its Advanced Certification for Total Hip and Total Knee Replacement. The advanced certification focuses on: The continuum of care through all phases of the…

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Editor's Note A study presented at the 2016 American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Surgeons Annual Meeting found that total ankle replacements performed in ambulatory surgical centers (ASCs) were about $4,000 less than those performed in inpatient facilities, the October Orthopedics Today reports. The 4-year study included 574 total ankle replacements…

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