Comparison of outpatient vs. inpatient anatomic total shoulder arthroplasty: a propensity score-matched analysis of 20,035 procedures.

Background: As the proportion of anatomic total shoulder arthroplasty (aTSA) operations performed at outpatient surgical sites continues to increase, it is important to evaluate the clinical implications of this evolution in care.

Methods: Patients who underwent TSA for glenohumeral osteoarthritis from 2007 to 2019 were identified in the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program registry. Demographic data and 30-day outcomes were collected, and patients were separated into inpatient and outpatient (defined as same day discharge) groups. To control for confounding variables, a propensity score-matching algorithm was utilized. Outcomes included 30-day adverse events, readmission, and operative time.

Results: A total of 20,035 patients who underwent aTSA between 2007 and 2019 were identified: 18,707 inpatient aTSAs and 1328 outpatient aTSAs. On matching, there were no significant differences in patient characteristics between inpatient and outpatient cohorts. Patients who underwent outpatient aTSA were less likely to experience a serious adverse event when compared with their matched inpatient aTSA counterparts (outpatient: 1.1% vs. inpatient: 2.1%,  = .03). Outpatient aTSA was associated with similar rates of all specific individual complications and readmissions (1.5% vs. 1.9%,  = .31).

Conclusion: When compared with a propensity score-matched cohort of inpatient counterparts, the present study found outpatient aTSA was associated with significantly reduced severe adverse events and similar readmission rates. These findings support the growing use of outpatient aTSA in appropriately selected patients.