Research published in the Journal of Arthroplasty examined whether discharge within a day of total knee arthroplasty is safe for the octogenarian population.
Researchers identified patients in the National Surgical Quality Improvement who had undergone total knee arthroplasty and reported a length of stay of one day or less between 2005 and 2016. The patients were separated into two groups determined by whether the patients were 80 years or older, or younger than 80 years old.
In total, 17,191 patients younger than 80 years old and 1,005 patients 80 and older were included in the study, with 1,750 cases discharged the same day as surgery.
The study found that patients 80 years and older had a higher risk of 30-day readmission, non surgical site infection readmission and non-home discharge.
"These data suggest that, although octogenarians can safely be discharged in one day or less, greater postdischarge care may be warranted to reduce the rate of nonsurgical site-related readmissions," the researchers concluded.