Costs of outpatient total hip arthroplasties were compared with costs of a matched group of patients having inpatient total hip arthroplasties. Ten patients were in each group and had surgery by the same surgeon in the same hospital. The average hospital bill for the outpatients was $4000 less than for the inpatients. The total average charge including prehospital, intrahospital, and posthospital care for the outpatients was approximately $2500 less than for the inpatients. The total average reimbursement was $1155 less for the outpatients. Results of this pilot study show that outpatient total hip arthroplasty is financially advantageous.
Level of evidence: Economic and decision analyses, Level IV (no sensitivity analyses). See the Guidelines for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.