Publications by authors named "Kevin Heo"
Study Design: Retrospective database study.
Objective: To leverage a commercial insurance claims database to explore trends in laminoplasty utilization and reimbursement in the United States. Secondarily, volume estimates were compared with data from the industry and from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS).
Background: Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) agonists have emerged as a powerful diabetic treatment adjunct; however, their effects on outcomes following total hip arthroplasty (THA) are not well known. This study aimed to compare the risk of complications in patients who had type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) who were on GLP-1 agonists with those who were not on these medications.
Methods: In total, 14,065 patients who had type 2 DM undergoing primary THA between 2016 and 2021 were retrospectively reviewed using a national database.
Article Synopsis
- Total elbow arthroplasty (TEA) is an important surgical procedure for various elbow conditions, including osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, but there's limited research on usage trends.
- A study analyzed TEA cases in the U.S. from 2010 to 2018 using health database queries, categorizing patients by their specific conditions and examining trends related to sex, age, and location.
- Results showed a significant overall decline in TEA procedures, dropping from 694 to 466 cases annually, with the largest decrease seen in cases for rheumatoid arthritis, while cases for osteoarthritis showed the smallest reduction.
Article Synopsis
- Mechanically assisted crevice corrosion can complicate total hip arthroplasty (THA), potentially leading to adverse local tissue reactions (ALTR) due to metal ions released in the body.
- A study examined 552 THA patients, focusing on the relationship between synovial fluid (SF) cobalt and chromium ion levels and the risk of developing ALTR, analyzing preoperative and intraoperative samples.
- The findings showed no correlation between SF ion levels and ALTR; elevated serum cobalt levels were predictive of ALTR, indicating that SF measurements add no value over serum levels for diagnosing this condition.
Article Synopsis
- The study focuses on developing machine learning models to identify risk factors for acute kidney injury (AKI) following spinal fusion surgery.
- It uses patient data from the IBM MarketScan Database, analyzing over 141,000 cases and finding a 2.96% incidence rate of AKI within 90 days post-surgery.
- Key risk factors include chronic renal disease, hypertension, diabetes (with or without complications), age over 50, and congestive heart failure, which can be used to create a simple risk calculator for surgeons to assess preoperative risk.
Article Synopsis
- - The text outlines a research study that includes sections on background information, methods used for the study, results obtained, and the conclusion drawn from the findings.
- - The background section likely provides context and rationale for the study, while the methods section explains how the research was conducted.
- - The results section presents the key findings, and the conclusion summarizes the implications or significance of these results, emphasizing the level of evidence provided by the research.*
Background: The absence of consensus for prophylaxis of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in spine surgery underscores the importance of identifying patients at risk. This study incorporated machine learning (ML) models to assess key risk factors of VTE in patients who underwent posterior spinal instrumented fusion.
Methods: Data was collected from the IBM MarketScan Database [2009-2021] for patients ≥18 years old who underwent spinal posterior instrumentation (3-6 levels), excluding traumas, malignancies, and infections.
Background: Lumbar disc herniation (LDH) is a common condition that can be characterized with disabling pain. While most patients recover without surgery, some still require operative intervention. The epidemiology and trends of laminotomy for LDH have not been recently studied, and current practice patterns might be different from historical norms.
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- The study investigates the effectiveness of patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) used in anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) recovery, highlighting overlapping themes and the complexity that makes them less useful for both patients and practitioners.
- A mixed-methods approach involved 77 participants identifying the most valuable PROM items for recovery phases, confirming strong agreement between patients and practitioners on the importance of certain measures.
- Findings emphasize psychological burden and physical function as critical aspects of recovery, with specific items rated as highly useful, underlining the need for streamlined measures to assess treatment progress and readiness to return to sport.
Article Synopsis
- Periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) is a serious complication after total knee arthroplasty (TKA), and this study investigates the differences in comorbidities between early (within 90 days) and late (more than 2 years) PJI cases.
- The analysis included 72,659 patients who underwent TKA between 2009 and 2021, revealing that late PJI patients tend to be younger and have significantly higher rates of comorbidities like chronic kidney disease, malignancy, uncomplicated diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, and hypertension compared to those with early PJI.
- The findings suggest that young patients with these comorbidities may benefit from targeted interventions before surgery to reduce the
Article Synopsis
- Unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) is gaining popularity as a treatment for single-compartment osteoarthritis, particularly in patients on long-term anticoagulation therapy, which has not been extensively studied.
- The study analyzed patients who underwent UKA from 2009 to 2019, comparing those on anticoagulation with a matched control group to assess complication rates at 90 days and 2 years post-surgery.
- Findings revealed that patients on long-term anticoagulation had higher risks of various complications, including infections and longer hospital stays, although their chances of needing a total knee arthroplasty afterward did not increase.
Background: Upper extremity (UE) fractures are a common reason for emergency department (ED) visits, but recent data on their epidemiology are lacking. This study aimed to describe the incidence, demographics, patient characteristics, and associated health care factors of UE fractures, hypothesizing that they would remain prevalent in the ED setting.
Methods: Using the Nationwide ED Sample database, patients presenting to the ED with UE fractures in 2016 were identified, and population estimates were used to calculate incidence rates.
Background: With an aging global population, the incidence of revision total hip arthroplasty (rTHA) is expected to increase markedly. While patients undergoing primary total hip arthroplasty who require chronic anticoagulation (AC) have been associated with increased postoperative complications, less is known about the impact of chronic AC status on postoperative complications in the rTHA setting. This study sought to compare complication rates following aseptic rTHA between patients who were on chronic AC and those who were not.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Prior studies have demonstrated reduced periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) rates following extended oral antibiotics (EOAs) for high-risk patients undergoing primary total joint arthroplasty (TJA). This study compared 3-month PJI rates in all patients undergoing primary or aseptic revision TJA with or without EOA prophylaxis.
Methods: In total, 2,982 consecutive primary (n = 2,677) and aseptic revision (n = 305) TJAs were performed by a single, fellowship-trained arthroplasty surgeon from 2016 to 2022 were retrospectively reviewed.
Background: Previous evidence has demonstrated an increased risk of periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) following primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA) in patients receiving corticosteroid injection (CSI) within 3 months of surgery. The study aimed to determine if PJI risk after TKA varied among different corticosteroid agents.
Methods: A total of 85,073 patients undergoing primary TKA from 2009 to 2019 were identified from a large national database.
Article Synopsis
- The COVID-19 pandemic has created challenges for patients undergoing revision total knee arthroplasty (rTKA), particularly regarding postoperative recovery for those diagnosed with COVID-19.
- A study of 8,022 rTKA patients revealed that 60 contracted COVID-19 within 90 days post-surgery, leading to comparison with matched patients without COVID-19.
- Results indicated that rTKA patients with postoperative COVID had significantly higher rates of pneumonia, pulmonary embolism, deep venous thrombosis, and readmissions, suggesting a need for extended anticoagulation prophylaxis for these patients.
Background: With increasing numbers of revision total hip and total knee arthroplasties (rTHAs and rTKAs), understanding trends in related out-of-pocket (OOP) costs, overall costs, and provider reimbursements is critical to improve patient access to care.
Methods: A large database was used to identify 92,116 patients who underwent rTHA or rTKA between 2009 and 2018. The OOP costs associated with the surgery and related inpatient care were calculated as the sum of copayment, coinsurance, and deductible payments.