Direct Costs Vary by Outcome in Two-Stage Revision Arthroplasty for the Treatment of Hip Periprosthetic Joint Infection

• Published in: Arthroplasty today Vol. 19; p. 101061
• Main Authors: Wixted, Colleen M., Charalambous, Lefko T., Kim, Billy I., Cochrane, Niall H., Belay, Elshaday S., Joseph, Hayden L., Seyler, Thorsten M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Inc 01.02.2023; Elsevier
• Subjects: Cost analysis; Economic analysis; Original Research; Prosthetic joint infection; Surgical complications; Total hip arthroplasty; Two-stage exchange arthroplasty; Surgical complications; Economic analysis; Two-stage exchange arthroplasty; Cost analysis; Prosthetic joint infection; Total hip arthroplasty
• DOI: 10.1016/j.artd.2022.10.011
• ISSN: 2352-3441

Two-stage revision arthroplasty is the gold standard for treating chronic prosthetic joint infection (PJI), but there has been limited analysis of the costs incurred beyond the index procedure and how additional complications and/or surgeries impact the cost of care. The electronic health record was queried for patients who underwent a total hip arthroplasty complicated by PJI and then underwent removal of the prosthesis with implantation of an antibiotic-impregnated articulating cement spacer. Patient demographics, surgical variables, hospital readmissions, emergency department (ED) visits, and postoperative complications were recorded. Data on total costs were collected with an internal accounting database. The average follow-up duration was 3.35 years. Univariate analyses showed statistically significant differences between outcome groups (reimplantation, reimplantation requiring later revision, retained spacer, and Girdlestone resection arthroplasty) in total overall costs, ED visit costs, and postoperative costs at 1 and 2 years after the initial spacer placement. The median total cost at 2 years for each group was $38,865 ($29,144-49,471) (reimplantation), $79,223 ($53,442-100,152) (reimplantation with revision), $54,096 ($20,872-73,903) (retained spacer), $62,134 ($52,135-101,546) (Girdlestone). Patients who underwent successful reimplantation requiring no further surgery had significantly lower total costs than patients who needed revision surgeries after reimplantation ($38,865 [$29,144-49,471] vs $79,223 [$53,442-100,152], P = .007). Patients with a Girdlestone resection arthroplasty had higher total costs at 1 year ($59,708 [$41,781-80,916] vs $33,093 [$27,237-40,429], P = .043) and higher costs attributable to ED visits at 2 years than the reimplantation group ($23,581 [$14,029-41,519] vs $15,307 [$6291-29,119], P = .009). A significant variation exists among total costs for the 2-stage treatment of hip PJI when stratified by the final outcome.