Analysis of the Cost-Effectiveness of Same-day Discharge Surgery for Primary Total Hip Arthroplasty: A Pragmatic Randomized Controlled Study

This was a prospective RCT. Patients qualified for inclusion in the study if they met the following criteria: undergoing unilateral primary THA; having the ability to understand the relevant treatment process; aged between 18 and 75 years; a body mass index (BMI) ≤ 40 kg/m2; hemoglobin ≥ 12g/dL; American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) physical status classification of I or II; and no ongoing infection or blood coagulation disorders. Those with a history of coronary artery disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, arrhythmias, or untreated obstructive sleep apnea were excluded. Eligible individuals who gave informed consent were randomly assigned (1:1) to an inpatient THA group or an SDD THA group. SDD-THA was defined as admission, surgery, and discharge within 24 hours, whereas the inpatients stayed in hospital for more than one day. Randomization occurred at the individual level and was performed by an independent statistician, utilizing an automatic computer-generated table of random numbers. Preoperatively, patients undergoing SDD-THA and their families received information in the form of teaching booklets and a teaching class conducted by a bedside clinician, which included the protocol, matters needing attention, exercise training, and home-based rehabilitation. All operations were performed by the same surgical team through a posterolateral approach. Standardized general anesthesia was administered by low-dose bupivacaine, to allow early postoperative patient mobilization. Celebrex 400 mg PO was used as routine analgesia before surgery. Cefazolin (1.0 g) and Tranexamic Acid (0.4 g) were administered 30 min prior to skin incision. A uniform perioperative multimodal pain management protocol was established by cocktail periarticular injection before wound closure, which consisted of Flurbiprofen axetil (50 mg) and Ropivacaine (200 mg). Patients in both groups accepted the same postoperative protocols. To avoid venous thromboembolism (VTE), all participants were encouraged to perform ankle pumping and quadriceps-setting exercises immediately. Additionally, patients were encouraged to get out of bed and ambulate progressively with assistance under the guidance of the bedside clinician.