When appropriate, ankle fracture surgery should be provided in an outpatient setting, according to an analysis in the Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.
Four things to know:
1. The study featured 148 patients with isolated, surgically-treated ankle fractures. Of the patients, 61 received care at level 1 trauma hospital and 87 received care at an affiliated outpatient surgery center.
2. Outpatient care was associated with 31.6 percent lower costs compared with inpatient care.
3. Obese patients had 21.6 percent higher costs compared with non-obese patients.
4. No difference was observed in in revision surgery, readmission or return visits to the emergency department for patients treated on an inpatient or outpatient basis.