Feasibility, safety, and patient-reported outcomes 90 days after same-day total knee arthroplasty: a matched cohort study

Background and purpose: Despite increased attention to and acceptance of fast-track procedures, there is a lack of studies concerning discharge on the day of surgery (DOS) following total knee arthroplasty (SD-TKA). We evaluated the feasibility of SD-TKA, and compared safety and patient-reported outcomes (PROs) between patients undergoing SD-TKA and patients undergoing standard TKA.


Patients and methods: A SD-TKA group (n = 101) was matched 1:1 to a standard TKA group (n = 101) on age, sex, and ASA score. Feasibility (being discharged on DOS), safety (unplanned contacts and complications evaluated by telephone calls (2 weeks), outpatient visits (2 weeks), and readmission (90 days)) were assessed. Further, Oxford Knee Score (OKS) and Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) (pain at rest and activity) were reported (90 days).


Results: 89 of 101 SD-TKA patients were discharged on DOS. The number of telephone calls (≤ 83) and outpatient visits (12) were similar in the 2 groups. The number of readmissions was ≤ 3 in both groups, and only 1 of the readmissions was related to TKA surgery. No differences were found at 90-day follow-up in terms of OKS (34 in both groups) or VAS (rest: SD-TKA = 7 and standard TKA = 8; activity: SD-TKA = 17 and standard TKA = 15).
Interpretation: SD-TKA is feasible in a selected group of patients, and safety and PROs are comparable to patients undergoing standard TKA.