Performing total joint arthroplasty procedures in an ASC setting led to more 0-day stays, fewer patients being discharged to skilled nursing facilities and lower costs, according to a study from the Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.
The study reviewed nearly 8,000 patients undergoing total joint arthroplasty at a hospital. From 2018 to 2019, 4,554 patients underwent TJA in the hospital before the ASC was opened. The data was compared to 3,221 cases that underwent TJA in the same hospital from 2022 to 2023, after the ASC opened.
Following the ASC at the hospital, the acuity of total joint arthroplasty cases increased and outcomes either stayed consistent or improved.
Here are five more things to know about the study:
- Post-ASC opening, patients undergoing TJAs were on average 69.8 years old, compared to an average age of 66.8 years old pre-ASC opening.
- Once the ASC opened, 16.5% of patients had a stay of zero days, compared to 6.3% patients who had a 0-day stay before the ASC.
- Less than 7% of patients who underwent TJAs after the ASC addition were discharged to a skilled nursing facility, compared to 9.3% of patients before the ASC was opened.
- The average charge was $12,096 once the ASC was built, more than $400 cheaper on average compared to the average charge of $12,555 pre-ASC opening.
- The cases were performed by one of 12 board-certified fellowship-trained surgeons at a single, acute-care community hospital from January 2018 to October 2023.
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