Effects of enhanced recovery after surgery practices on postoperative recovery and length of stay after unilateral primary total hip or knee arthroplasty in a private hospital

Introduction: Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) practices improve postoperative recovery and reduce postoperative length of stay (LOS) in patients undergoing primary total hip arthroplasty (THA) or total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Our study investigated whether these promising results could be reproduced in a private hospital setting. Methods: In total, 228 patients were included in the study cohort: the conventional group comprised 117 patients from 2012 to 2014, while the ERAS group comprised 111 patients from 2017 to 2018. All patients had undergone unilateral primary THA or TKA at a private hospital in Hong Kong. The outcome was postoperative LOS; factors affecting LOS were also investigated. Results: No significant differences were found in any baseline parameters between the two groups of patients. The mean LOS was significantly shorter in the ERAS group than in the conventional group (3.28 +/- 1.04 vs 5.16 +/- 2.06 days, P<0.001). Moreover, a significantly greater proportion of patients could be discharged on or before postoperative day 3 in the ERAS group, compared with the conventional group (77.5% vs 13.7%, P<0.001). A significant difference in LOS was observed between general ward and private ward patients (3.06 +/- 0.59 vs 3.66 +/- 1.46 days, P=0.003). Sex, age, and nature of surgery (TKA vs THA) did not have significant effects on LOS. Conclusions: The ERAS practices yielded a significant improvement in postoperative LOS, compared to conventional practices, among patients who underwent unilateral primary THA or TKA in a private hospital.