Perioperative Operating Room Efficiency Can Make Simultaneous Bilateral Total Hip Arthroplasty Cost-effective: A Proposal for a Value-sharing Model.

Abstract

Increasing demand for total hip arthroplasty (THA) and rising health-care costs have led hospitals to improve operating room (OR) efficiency. We compare the cost-effectiveness of a simultaneous bilateral THA to that of staged unilateral procedures following the implementation of OR efficiency strategies. Between 2017 and 2019, 446 simultaneous and 238 staged bilateral primary THA patients (mean age 61.3 ± 12.0 years; 41.8% males/58.2% females; mean body mass index 27.2 ± 4.8 kg/m2) were treated by a single surgeon using an efficient, standardized workflow for efficient direct anterior approach THA on a standard operating table. There were no differences in inclusion criteria between both groups. From this cohort, 16 simultaneous bilateral THAs and 34 unilateral THAs were prospectively compared for cost-effectiveness using detailed timestamp measurements and data on personnel and material usage. Outcome was assessed based on complication and reoperation rate and patient-reported outcome measures. There was a complication rate of 1.2%, without a difference between patients who underwent a simultaneous THA vs those who underwent a staged primary THA (5/446; 1.1% vs 3/238; 1.3% P= .386). The mean OR time (patient in/out and turnover time) was 109.4 ± 19.8 minutes for bilateral THAs and 133.8 ± 12.8 minutes for 2 unilateral THAs (P < .001). An 18% time-saving and 14% cost-saving was achieved per procedure. Sharing 5% of the cost-saving with the surgeon brings benefit to both the hospital and surgeon. Implementing OR efficiency improves cost-effectiveness of simultaneous bilateral THA compared to unilateral procedures. A new value-sharing model could be a solution to align incentives.