Editor's Note In this study, researchers from the University of California, Irvine, report on data for the second year of implementation of the total joint replacement Perioperative Surgical Home program. During the 2-year period there were 328 primary joint arthroplasty patients. Length of stay was significantly shorter in the second…

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Editor's Note A new model consisting of four risk factors can help surgeons predict the risk of complications after surgery for cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM), this multi-center study finds. Surgical CSM patients have a higher risk of perioperative complications if they have a greater number of comorbidities, coexisting diabetes mellitus,…

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Orthopedic services are evolving. Total joint patients are younger and healthier, the technology has improved, and procedures are moving to the ambulatory setting. The desire for same-day discharge has raised the bar for provider performance and increased competition among facilities that are adding total joints to their service lines. Younger…

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Editor's Note The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) on May 23 released a new online toolkit to help healthcare organizations and providers respond when a patient is harmed. The toolkit is based on the Communication and Optimal Resolution (CANDOR) process, which is a patient-centered approach that emphasizes early…

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Editor's Note As part of the drive to reduce opioid use, rotator-cuff repairs are becoming a testing ground for alternative approaches to pain management, the May 23 Wall Street Journal reports. Because rotator-cuff surgery is one of the most painful procedures to recover from, physicians hope that if alternative painkilling…

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Editor's Note Fast-track total hip and knee arthroplasties with a median length of stay of 3 days and discharge to home are feasible in most patients 85 years of age or older, this study finds. Of 13,775 procedures included in the analysis: median age was 87 years and median length…

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Editor's Note In this study, Medicare patients having common surgical procedures at critical access hospitals had no significant difference in 30-day mortality than those at noncritical access hospitals (5.4% vs 5.6%), and they had lower rates of serious complications (6% vs 14%) and lower expenditures ($14,450 vs $15, 845). The…

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Editor's Note Readmission after emergency general surgery procedures is common and varies widely depending on patient factors and diagnosis categories, this study finds. Of 177,500 emergency general surgery patients, the overall 30-day readmission rate was 5.91%. Predictors of readmission included Charlson Comorbidity Index score of 2 or greater, leaving against medical…

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Total joint replacements have grown rapidly in recent years, thanks to an aging population and advances in surgical techniques and pain management. As a result, many healthcare facilities have added joint and spine procedures to their service lines. Others would like to know how to do this. What’s involved in…

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Editor's Note Musical preferences and perceptions of the effect of music in the OR differ by professional status and specialty, this study finds. A survey of 282 patients and 390 providers (ie, physicians, residents, and nurses in anesthesiology and surgery), found that: Patients who highly enjoyed music said it alleviated…

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