Abstract
Objectives
Although most joint surgeons have reached a consensus that preoperative risk assessment and appropriate medical intervention for elderly patients of primary total hip arthrplasty (PTHA) could significantly reduce postoperative complications and mortality, there is still lack of a detailed and comprehensive approach for risk stratifying and a systematic method for risk allaying. We aimed to explore the risk factors related to the aggravation of preoperative complications and the appearance of complications post-operation of primary total hip arthrplasty (PTHA) in elderly patients for hip fracture.
Patients and methods
We retrospectively reviewed the demographic and clinical data of 156 patients who underwent PTHA for hip fracture from January 2014 to December 2016, of which there were 61 male (39.1%) and 95 female (60.9%) patients; 111 patients aged 60–79 years (71.2%) and 45 patients ≥ 80 years old (28.8%); 125 patients of femoral neck fracture (80.1%) and 31 patients of inter-trochanteric fracture (19.9%); 109 patients of spinal anesthesia (69.9%) and 48 patients of general anesthesia (30.1%); 85 patients undergoing surgery within 3 days (54.5%) and 71 patients operated ≥ 4 days (45.5%) since admission. We evaluated the correlations among gender, age, type of fracture, methods of anesthesia, time of operation since admission, the aggravation of preoperative complications and the appearance of postoperative complications post PTHA using the IBM SPSS Statistics (version 21) and the Exce1 2016.
Results
The appearance of postoperative complications were statistically correlated with age, time of operation since admission, and type of anesthesia. The appearance of postoperative complication were significantly more in patients operated ≥ 4 days since admission (P < 0.05), and patients with general anesthesia (P < 0.05). Age ≥ 80 years old was not only statistically correlated with the aggravation of three kind of preoperative complications, hypertension, heart disease and respiratory tract infection (P < 0.05), also statistically correlated with the postoperative exacerbation of respiratory tract infection (P < 0.01), the appearance of anemia (P < 0.01), hypoalbuminemia (P < 0.01), water and electrolyte balance disorder (P < 0.05), and gastrointestinal reaction (P < 0.05). Age ≥ 80 years old was neither significantly correlated with postoperative aggravation of diabetes mellitus, urinary tract infection and abnormal liver and kidney function (P > 0.05), nor with postoperative urinary retention (P > 0.05).
Conclusion
The occurrence of postoperative complications of elderly patients post PTHA for hip fracture was correlated with age ≥ 80 years old, delayed surgery longer than 4 days since admission, and general anesthesia. Much more attention should be paid to the patients with preoperative diseases of hypertension, heart diseases, and respiratory tract infection, especially age ≥ 80 years patients with respiratory tract infection. Specific postoperative attention should be paid to correct anemia, supplement albumin, regulate the imbalance of water and electrolyte, and treat the digestive tract response for PTHA patients aged ≥ 80 years.
