On the generalizability of same-day partial knee replacement surgery-A non-selective interventional study evaluating efficacy, patient satisfaction, and safety in a public hospital setting.

Purpose: Programs referred to as Fast-Track/Rapid Recovery/Enhanced Recovery After Surgery have proven both effective and safe in joint replacement surgery, to the degree where same-day discharge (SDD) has been attempted in carefully selected cases at specialized outpatient units. Therefore, the primary aim of this study was to evaluate a same-day surgery protocol regarding safety using the minor partial knee replacement (PKR) procedure by non-selectively recruiting patients at a public hospital for one consecutive year.

Methods: 33 unselected PKR cases were included in this open clinical trial. The inclusion/exclusion criteria were solely based on logistics, as all the procedures were medial PKRs, designated the first morning slots, and performed by one single-surgeon. Strict postoperative criteria based on vital parameters, urinary function, bleeding, and mobilization had to be met before discharge was considered. SDD rate, patient satisfaction, number of outpatient visits, adverse events and readmissions within 90 days were evaluated. A predetermined subgroup analysis was also conducted where patients <80 yrs. and with an American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) classification
Results: 29 of 33 (88%) successfully achieved SDD. In a univariate comparison, 100% of the patients <80 yrs. and ASA class
Conclusion: When following strict criteria for discharge, same-day partial knee replacement surgery may be both feasible and safe, even without preselection of patients.