Longer operative times increases risk of infection after primary total joint arthroplasty: 4 study notes

In patients undergoing primary total joint arthroplasty, each 20-minute increase in operative time was associated with nearly a 25 percent increased risk of periprosthetic joint infection, according to a study in The Journal of Arthroplasty.

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The study authors reviewed 17,342 primary unilateral total knee arthroplasty and total hip arthroplasty procedures performed between 2005 and 2016 with a minimum follow-up of one year.

Four study insights:

1. The incidence of 90-day surgical site infection was 1.2 percent, and the incidence of 1-year PJI was 0.8 percent.

2. Patients who were operated on for more than 90 minutes had a significantly greater risk of SSI than cases lasting 60 minutes or less (2.1 percent versus 0.9 percent).

3. Patients who were operated on for more than 90 minutes had a significantly greater risk of PJI than cases lasting 60 minutes or less (1.4 percent versus 0.7 percent).

4. The study authors concluded that surgeons should minimize unnecessary steps and wasted time in the operating room.

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