Are the First and Second Hip in Staged Bilateral Total Hip Arthroplasty Equal? A Hospital Adverse Event and Perioperative Risk Comparison

Hospital adverse events remain a significant issue; even “minor events” may lead to increased costs. However, to the best of our knowledge, no previous investigation has compared perioperative events between the first and second hip in staged bilateral total hip arthroplasty (THA). In the current study, we perform such a comparison. A retrospective chart review was performed on a consecutive series of 172 patients (344 hips) who underwent staged bilateral THAs performed by two surgeons at a single institution (2010–2016). Based on chronological order of the staged arthroplasties, two groups were set apart: first-staged THA and second-staged THA. Baseline-demographics, length of stay (LOS), discharge disposition, hospital adverse events, and hospital transfusions were compared between groups. Statistical analyses were performed using independent t-tests, Fisher's exact test, and/or Pearson's chi-squared test. The mean time between staged surgeries was 465 days. There were no significant differences in baseline demographics between first-staged THA and second-staged THA groups (patients were their own controls). The mean LOS was significantly longer in the first-staged THA group than in the second (2.2 vs. 1.8 days; p  Level of Evidence Level III.