Smoking Cessation Before and After Total Joint Arthroplasty-An Uphill Battle

Smokeless Tobacco Use is Associated With Worse Medical and Surgical Outcomes Following Total Hip Arthroplasty

BACKGROUND

Studies have demonstrated increased complication risk after total hip arthroplasty (THA) in patients who smoke cigarettes. It is unclear if smokeless tobacco use confers a similar impact. The purpose of this study was to (1) evaluate rates of postoperative complications after THA in smokeless tobacco users and people who smoke compared to matched controls, and (2) compare rates of postoperative complications in smokeless tobacco users versus patients who smoke.

METHODS

A retrospective cohort study was conducted using a large national database. For patients who underwent primary THA, smokeless tobacco users (n = 950) and people who smoke (n = 21,585) were matched 1:4 with controls (n = 3,800 and 86,340, respectively), and smokeless tobacco users (n = 922) were matched 1:4 with people who smoke (n = 3,688). Joint complication rates within 2 years and medical complications within 90 days postoperatively were compared using multivariable logistic regressions.

RESULTS

Within 90 days of primary THA, smokeless tobacco users demonstrated significantly higher rates of wound disruption, pneumonia, deep vein thrombosis, acute kidney injury (AKI), cardiac arrest, transfusion, readmission and longer length of stay compared to tobacco naïve controls. Within 2 years, smokeless tobacco users demonstrated significantly higher rates of prosthetic joint dislocations and overall joint-related complications compared to tobacco naïve controls.

CONCLUSION

Smokeless tobacco use is associated with higher rates of medical- and joint-related complications following primary THA. Smokeless tobacco use may be under-diagnosed in patients undergoing elective THA. Surgeons may consider delineating between smoking and smokeless tobacco use during preoperative counseling.

What Is the Fate of Total Joint Arthroplasty Patients Who Are Asked to Quit Smoking Prior to Surgery?

Background

Smoking is a known risk factor for complications following primary total joint arthroplasty (TJA). Little is known regarding the fate of patients who are asked to quit smoking before surgery. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the success of smoking cessation prior to primary TJA and the impact of smoking cessation on perioperative outcomes.

Methods

This is a retrospective review of patients who presented between 2008 and 2020 to a single academic medical center with a documented smoking history and were asked to quit smoking prior to receiving a date for primary TJA. The cohort was surveyed about smoking cessation, smoking history, use of quit aids, seeking surgery elsewhere due to the cessation policy, and postoperative complications. Descriptive statistics evaluated the relationship between demographics, smoking cessation, and postoperative complications.

Results

A total of 101 patients completed the survey with an overall response rate of 48%. Sixty-two percent of patients quit smoking before surgery, and 51% of these patients reported remaining smoke-free at 6 months postoperatively. The average time to quit before TJA was 45 days (range: 1-365 days), and 62% quit without quit aids. The wound complication/infection rate was significantly higher for patients who did not stop smoking prior to TJA (4 of 16; 27%) than for those who did quit prior to surgery (3 of 63; 5%; P = .02).

Conclusions

This study demonstrates that most patients (62%) will stop smoking, if required, prior to primary TJA. Furthermore, 51% of patients reported abstinence from smoking at 6 months following TJA. TJA appears to be an effective motivator for smoking cessation.

Level of Evidence

III (retrospective cohort study).

Vaping Trends and Outcomes in Primary Total Joint Arthroplasty Patients: An Analysis of 21,341 Patients

INTRODUCTION

The effect of vaping on outcomes after total joint arthroplasty (TJA) and its prevalence in this patient population remain unclear. The purpose of this study was twofold: (1) to investigate the trends of vaping in TJA patients compared with patients who underwent routine physical examination and (2) to examine the influence vaping has on outcomes after TJA.

METHODS

Patients were classified as never vaped, former vape users, or whether they reported current vaping (CV). TJA patients were further classified based on whether they had no exposure to tobacco or vaping (NTNV), tobacco only (TO), both tobacco and vaping (BTV), or vaping only (VO).

RESULTS

The TJA group exhibited a steady trend of patients with CV status (P = 0.540) while patients in the routine physical examination cohort demonstrated a significant upward trend in CV status (P = 0.015). Subanalysis of TJA patients revealed that those in the VO category had significantly higher mean surgical time (P < 0.001), length of stay (P = 0.01), and rates of readmission (P = 0.001) compared with all other subgroups.

CONCLUSION

We found steady or increasing trends of electronic cigarette exposure in both groups over time. Additional efforts should be made to document electronic cigarette exposure for all patients.

Movement is Life-Optimizing Patient Access to Total Joint Arthroplasty: Smoking Cessation Disparities

Currently, 13.7% of the adult American population smokes cigarettes. Although rates of cigarette smoking have decreased over time, those of e-cigarette usage have increased. Smoking rates are highest in American Indians/Alaskan Natives and adults whose highest education level is a General Educational Development certificate, who live in rural American areas, and who have an annual household income of less than $35,000. After arthroplasty, smoking is linked to impaired wound healing, superficial and deep wound infections, and aseptic loosening. Patients who smoke should be strongly encouraged to stop and be supported with smoking cessation programs. Monitoring smoking cessation with cotinine levels may be inaccurate because variations have been noted in race, ethnicity, and sex. Confirmation of cessation as a hard stop to surgery could increase existing healthcare disparities. The role of the surgeon in encouraging patients to stop smoking, at least temporarily, before total joint arthroplasty cannot be overemphasized.

Cannabis Use Among Lower-Extremity Arthroplasty Patients Does Not Lead to Worse Postoperative Outcomes

INTRODUCTION

Smoking and general categorizations of substance use are linked with increased postoperative complications following total knee arthroplasty (TKA) and total hip arthroplasty (THA). There is a lack of similar evidence on how cannabis use may affect outcomes after arthroplasty. The present study aims to compare postoperative outcomes in cannabis users versus non-cannabis users who underwent THA/TKA. We hypothesize that cannabis users will have no difference in primarily the complication rate, revision rate, and secondarily post-operative Patient-Reported Outcomes Information System (PROMIS) scores, hospital stay, or pain compared to matched controls.

METHODS

Billing codes were used to generate lists of hip/knee arthroplasty patients from 2013 to 2019 at our institution. In the case group, cannabis use was confirmed via chart review. Cannabis-using patients were matched appropriately with non-users by (1) the same arthroplasty procedure; (2) BMI ± 3.5; (3) age ± 3 years; (4) sex. Data on postoperative outcomes were collected from charts and compared between groups using either a Chi-square test for qualitative variables or a paired t-test for quantitative variables.

RESULTS

A total of 24 patients with an average age of 57.1 and a BMI of 30.6 were confirmed to have isolated cannabis use. They were matched to 24 patients with an average age of 57.6 and a BMI of 31.4. There were no significant differences in the complication rate (4.2% vs 4.2%, p=1.00), the revision rate (0% vs 4.2%, p=0.31), days of hospital stay (2.7 vs 3.3, p=0.22), or postoperative pain (4.7 vs 4.9, p=0.86). Similarly, there were no significant differences in all PROMIS score measures.

DISCUSSION/CONCLUSIONS

Current research shows that cannabis use may lead to increased revision arthroplasty and decreased mortality, with mixed findings regarding post-surgical complications. The present study suggests that cannabis-using patients have no difference in postoperative complication rate, revision rate, PROMIS scores, hospital stay, or pain compared to matched controls.

Trends in the Prevalence and Postoperative Surgical Complications for Smokers Who Underwent a Total Knee Arthroplasty from 2011 to 2019: An Analysis of 406,553 Patients

Smoking is a modifiable risk factor for complications following total knee arthroplasty (TKA). It is unclear if the declining prevalence of tobacco use in the U.S. population is reflected in patients undergoing elective TKA. This study aims to investigate (1) the incidence of 30-day complications following TKA in smokers and (2) trends in preoperative smoking status among TKA patients. In this study, patients undergoing primary elective TKA in the United States from 2011 to 2019 were identified in the American College of Surgeons' National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS-NSQIP) database. Our cohort included 406,553 cases, 8.13% of which had smoked cigarettes within 1 year of undergoing TKA. Smokers were propensity score-matched to a group of nonsmokers, with each n = 32,533. The incidences of 30-day complications, readmission, and non-home discharge were compared between groups. The rate of preoperative smoking among elective primary TKA patients remained stagnant from 2011 to 2019. Smokers had higher rates of superficial surgical site infections (SSIs; 1.1 vs. 0.5%, p < 0.001), deep SSI (0.3 vs. 0.2%, p = 0.012), wound disruption (0.4 vs. 0.2%, p < 0.001), pneumonia (0.5 vs. 0.3%, p < 0.001), and 30-day readmission (3.6 vs. 2.7%, p < 0.001) compared with nonsmokers. No significant trends in 30-day complications were noted between 2011 and 2019. This study supports the success of national efforts to reduce the prevalence of smoking and reports a modest effect within the TKA population. However, almost 1 in 10 patients undergoing elective TKA continues to smoke and maintains a higher risk of postoperative complications.

Does Preoperative Antiviral Treatment for Hepatitis C Decrease Risk of Complications After Total Hip Arthroplasty? A Matched Cohort Study

BACKGROUND

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is associated with increased complication risk after elective arthroplasty. The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of HCV and prearthroplasty antiviral treatment on complications following total hip arthroplasty (THA).

METHODS

A retrospective matched cohort study was conducted using an administrative claims database. In total, 6,883 HCV patients were matched 1:3 with 20,694 noninfected controls, and 920 HCV patients with antiviral treatment before THA (treated HCV) were matched 1:4 with 3,820 HCV patients without treatment (untreated HCV). Rates of 90-day medical complications and joint complications within 2 years postoperatively were compared with multivariable logistic regression.

RESULTS

HCV patients exhibited significantly increased rates of medical complications within 90 days compared to noninfected controls (all P < .01). At 2 years postoperatively, HCV patients also exhibited significantly higher risk of revision THA (odds ratio [OR] 1.81), dislocation (OR 2.06), mechanical complications (OR 1.40), periprosthetic fracture (OR 1.76), and prosthetic joint infection (PJI) (OR 1.79). However, treated HCV patients exhibited statistically comparable risk of all joint complications at 2 years postoperatively relative to controls (all P > .05). Compared to untreated HCV patients, treated HCV patients exhibited significantly lower risk of inpatient readmission within 90 days (OR 0.58) and PJI at 2 years postoperatively (OR 0.62).

CONCLUSION

HCV patients exhibit significantly increased risk of medical and joint complications following THA relative to controls, though prearthroplasty antiviral treatment mitigates complication risk. Treated HCV patients exhibited significantly lower risk of inpatient readmission and PJI compared to untreated HCV patients.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Level III.

Increased Risk of Short-Term Complications in Smokers Undergoing Primary Unicompartmental Knee Arthroplasty

The effects of smoking on unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) are unknown. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of smoking on short-term outcomes following primary UKA. A query of the National Surgical Quality Improvement Project (NSQIP) database was used to identify cases of primary UKA performed during years 2006 to 2017. Patient demographics, operative times, and postoperative complications were compared between smoking and nonsmoking cohorts. Descriptive statistics, univariate analyses, and multivariate analyses were conducted to evaluate the effects of smoking on primary UKA. A total of 10,593 cases of UKA were identified; 1,046 of these patients were smokers. Univariate analysis demonstrated smokers to have higher rates of any complication (4.6 vs. 3.3%, p = 0.031), any wound complication (1.82 vs. 0.94%, p = 0.008), deep wound infection (0.57 vs. 0.13%, p = 0.006), and reoperation (1.34 vs. 0.68%, p = 0.018) relative to nonsmokers. Multivariate analysis demonstrated smokers to have higher rates of any wound complication (odds ratio [OR] = 1.79; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.06-2.95) and reoperation (OR = 2.11; 95% CI: 1.12-3.97). Smokers undergoing primary UKA are at higher risk for any wound complication and reoperation relative to nonsmokers in the first 30 days postoperatively. Further studies evaluating the long-term effects of smoking on outcome following UKA, as well as the impact of smoking cessation on outcomes following UKA, are needed.

The Fate of Morbidly Obese Patients With Joint Pain: A Retrospective Study of Patient Outcomes

BACKGROUND

The number of obese patients seeking a total joint arthroplasty (TJA) continues to increase. Weight loss is often recommended to treat joint pain and reduce risks associated with TJA. We sought to determine the effectiveness of an orthopedic surgeon's recommendation to lose weight.

METHODS

We identified morbidly obese (body mass index (BMI) 40-49.9 kg/m²) and super obese (BMI ≥50 kg/m²) patients with hip or knee osteoarthritis. Patients with less than 3-month follow-up were excluded. Patient characteristics (age, gender, BMI, comorbidities), disease characteristics (joint affected, radiographic osteoarthritis grading), and treatments were recorded. Clinically meaningful weight loss was defined as weight loss greater than 5%.

RESULTS

Two hundred thirty morbid and 50 super obese patients were identified. Super obese patients were more likely to be referred to weight management (52.0% vs 21.7%, P < .001) and were less likely to receive TJA (20.0% vs 41.7%, P = .004). Each 1 kg/m² increase in BMI decreased the odds of TJA by 10.9% (odds ratio = 0.891, 95% confidence interval: 0.833-0.953, P = .001). Forty (23.0%) of the nonoperatively treated patients achieved clinically meaningful weight loss, and 19 (17.9%) patients who underwent TJA lost weight before surgery. After surgery, the number of patients who achieved a clinically meaningful weight loss grew to 32 (30.2%).

CONCLUSION

In morbid and super obese patients, increasing BMI reduces the likelihood that a patient will receive TJA, and when counseled by their orthopedic surgeon, few patients participate in weight-loss programs or are otherwise able to lose weight. Weight loss is an inconsistently modifiable risk factor for joint replacement surgery.

Smoking Cessation Initiatives in Total Joint Arthroplasty: An Evidence-Based Review

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As smoking increases the risk of adverse events and leads to increased hospital costs following total joint arthroplasty (TJA), many institutions have introduced perioperative smoking cessation initiatives. Although such programs have been demonstrated to improve outcomes for smokers undergoing TJA, the optimal approach, duration, and timing of smoking cessation models have not been well-defined.

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Overall, initiating a smoking cessation program 4 weeks preoperatively is likely adequate to provide clinically meaningful reductions in postoperative complications for smokers following TJA, although longer periods of cessation should be encouraged if feasible.

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Patients brought in for emergency surgical treatment who cannot participate in a preoperative intervention may still benefit from an intervention instituted in the immediate postoperative period.

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Cotinine testing may provide some benefit for encouraging successful smoking cessation and validating self-reported smoking status, although its utility is limited by its short half-life. Further study is needed to determine the value of other measures of cessation such as carbon monoxide breath testing.

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Smoking cessation programs instituted prior to TJA have been demonstrated to be cost-effective over both the short and long term.

Failure to Optimize Before Total Knee Arthroplasty: Which Modifiable Risk Factor is the Most Dangerous?

BACKGROUND

Complications after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) are devastating for patients, and surgeons are held accountable in alternative payment models. Optimization of modifiable risk factors has become a mainstay in the preoperative period. We sought to evaluate the consequence of failure to optimize key risk factors in a modern cohort of patients who underwent TKA.

METHODS

The American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database was searched to identify patients who underwent TKA in 2017-2018. Patients were considered optimized if they had a body mass index <40kg/m², had albumin >3.5g/dL, were nonsmokers, and were nondiabetic. Patients were then grouped based on the previous 4 risk factors. Thirty-day readmission, infection, general complications, and mortality were analyzed and compared between the groups.

RESULTS

Overall, 84,315 patients were included in the study. A total of 31.6% of patients were not considered optimized. Body mass index >40kg/m², albumin <3.5, smoking, and insulin-dependent diabetes were all found to be associated with postoperative infection, readmission, mortality, and complication in general (P < .05). When compared, the nonoptimized group was found to have significantly higher risk of readmission (5 vs 3%), infection (2 vs 1%), general complications (8 vs 5%), and mortality (0.35 vs 0.1%) (all P < .001). Logistic regression showed that those with albumin less than 3.5g/dL had 3.7-fold higher odds of infection and 7.2-fold higher odds of 30-day mortality.

CONCLUSION

Despite knowledge that modifiable risk factors significantly influence postoperative outcomes, surgeons continue to operate on patients who are not optimized. Among the modifiable risk factors analyzed, hypoalbuminemia appears to be the strongest risk factor for all complications evaluated. Special attention should be paid to preoperative nutritional optimization.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Retrospective cohort study, level IV.

Hip Arthroscopy in Smokers: A Systematic Review of Patient-Reported Outcomes and Complications in 18,585 Cases

BACKGROUND

Although the negative effects of smoking have been documented for other types of arthroscopic procedures, there is limited information regarding its influence on hip arthroscopy outcomes.

PURPOSE

To examine the effect of smoking on the following outcomes after hip arthroscopy: patient-reported outcomes (PROs), the degree of improvement in PROs relative to baseline, complication rates, and rates of revision arthroscopy and/or conversion to total hip arthroplasty (THA).

STUDY DESIGN

Systematic review.

METHODS

The PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases were queried for studies published between January 1, 1985, and January 14, 2020, comparing the outcomes of hip arthroscopy between smokers and nonsmokers. Case reports, basic science studies, and studies investigating pediatric patients or lacking a description of outcomes were excluded. Included outcome tools were the modified Harris Hip Score, the visual analog scale (VAS) for pain and satisfaction, and the Hip Outcome Score (HOS)-Sports Specific and HOS-Activities of Daily Living. Preoperative characteristics and operative indications were also recorded.

RESULTS

Postoperative combined means (± SD) were better in nonsmokers versus smokers for the modified Harris Hip Score (75.67 ± 20.88 vs 82.32 ± 15.5; P = .001), the VAS pain (3.13 ± 2.79 vs 2.13 ± 2.21; P < .001), and the HOS-Sports Specific (62.54 ± 25.38 vs 71.7 ± 23.3; P < .001). There was no difference between groups in VAS satisfaction (P = .23) or HOS-Activities of Daily Living (P = .13). The extent of PRO score improvement relative to baseline values was similar in smokers and nonsmokers in all PRO measures (P > .05 for all). Smokers demonstrated higher rates of postoperative thromboembolic (P = .0177) and infectious (P = .006) complications. There was no difference between rates of revision arthroscopy (P = .47) and THA conversion (P = .31).

CONCLUSION

Smoking adversely affects certain postoperative PROs and is associated with higher postoperative complication rates. Further studies are required investigating the degree of PRO improvement and long-term arthroscopy revision and THA conversion rates.

Mandatory Nicotine Cessation for Elective Orthopedic Hip Procedures Results in Reduction in Postoperative Nicotine Use

Purpose

To determine the efficacy of mandatory preoperative nicotine cessation on postoperative nicotine use, and to identify independent predictors of nicotine use relapse in subjects undergoing hip preservation surgery or total hip arthroplasty by a single fellowship-trained orthopedic surgeon.

Methods

Consecutive subjects that underwent hip surgery from November 2014 to December 2017 were reviewed. Subjects who self-reported nicotine use, quit prior to surgery, and completed a minimum one-year follow-up were included. Multiple linear regression models were constructed to determine the effect of independent variables on nicotine use relapse following surgery.

Results

Sixty subjects were included in the study (mean follow-up 35.1 months (17-57 months), mean age 44.9 years (20-82 years), and 23 (38.3%) males). Twenty-eight subjects (46.7%) remained nicotine-free at final follow-up. The mean number of cigarettes per day decreased from 13.4 preoperatively to 8.4 postoperatively in the subjects who relapsed (P=0.002). The mean time to return to nicotine postoperatively was 2.4 months. The number of preoperative cigarettes per day was the only independent predictor of tobacco use relapse (P=0.005).

Conclusion

Mandatory preoperative nicotine cessation prior to elective hip surgery demonstrates a 46.7% nicotine-free survivorship at final follow-up with the number of preoperative cigarettes per day found to be the only independent predictor of nicotine use relapse.

Level of evidence

The level of evidence of this research study is Level III since it is a non-experimental study with a cohort of patients.

The use of tobacco is a modifiable risk factor for poor outcomes and readmissions after shoulder arthroplasty

Aims

The impact of tobacco use on readmission and medical and surgical complications has been documented in hip and knee arthroplasty. However, there remains little information about the effect of smoking on the outcome after total shoulder arthroplasty (TSA). We hypothesized that active smokers are at an increased risk of poor medical and surgial outcomes after TSA.

Methods

Data for patients who underwent arthroplasty of the shoulder in the USA between January 2011 and December 2015 were obtained from the National Readmission Database, and 90-day readmissions and complications were documented using validated coding methods. Multivariate regression analysis was performed to quantify the risk of smoking on the outcome after TSA, while controlling for patient demographics, comorbidities, and hospital-level confounding factors.

Results

A total of 196,325 non-smokers (93.1%) and 14,461 smokers (6.9%) underwent TSA during the five-year study period. Smokers had significantly increased rates of 30- and 90-day readmission (p = 0.025 and 0.001, respectively), revision within 90 days (p < 0.001), infection (p < 0.001), wound complications (p < 0.001), and instability of the prosthesis (p < 0.001). They were also at significantly greater risk of suffering from pneumonia (p < 0.001), sepsis (p = 0.001), and myocardial infarction (p < 0.001), postoperatively.

Conclusion

Smokers have an increased risk of readmission and medical and surgical complications after TSA. These risks are similar to those found for smokers after hip and knee arthroplasty. Many surgeons choose to avoid these elective procedures in patients who smoke. The increased risks should be considered when counselling patients who smoke before undertaking TSA. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2020;102-B(11):1549–1554.

The Impact of Arthroplasty Fellowship Training on Total Joint Arthroplasty: Comparison of Peri-Operative Metrics between Fellowship-Trained Surgeons and Non-Fellowship-Trained Surgeons

BACKGROUND

We sought to identify differences between total joint arthroplasties (TJAs) performed by adult reconstruction fellowship-trained surgeons (FT) than non-fellowship-trained surgeons (NFT).

METHODS

A single-institution database was utilized to identify patients who underwent elective TJA between 2016 and 2019.

RESULTS

In total, 16,882 TJAs were identified: 9111 total hip arthroplasties (THAs) and 7771 total knee arthroplasties (TKAs). Patients undergoing THA by FT surgeons were older (63.11 vs 61.84 years, P < .001), more likely to be white, insured by Medicare, and less likely to be active smokers (P < .0001). Both surgical time (90.03 vs 113.1 minutes, P < .0001) and mean length of stay (LOS) (1.85 vs 2.72 days, P < .0001) were significantly shorter for THAs performed by FT surgeons than NFT surgeons. A significantly greater percentage of patients were discharged home after THA by FT surgeons than NFT surgeons (88.7% vs 85.2%, P = .002). FT patients were quicker to mobilize with therapy and required 25% less opioids. TKAs performed by FT surgeons were associated with shorter surgical times (87.4 vs 94.92 minutes, P < .0001), LOS (2.62 vs 2.84 days, P < .0001), and nearly 19% less opioid requirement in the peri-operative period. In addition to higher Activity Measure for Post-Acute Care scores associated with FT surgeons after TKA, a significantly greater percentage of patients were discharged home after TKA by FT surgeons than NFT surgeons (83.97% vs 80.16%, P < .001).

CONCLUSION

For both THA and TKA, patients had significantly shorter surgical times, LOS, and required less opioids when their procedure was performed by FT surgeons compared to NTF surgeons. Patients who had their TJA performed by a FT surgeon achieved higher Activity Measure for Post-Acute Care scores and were discharged home more often than NFT surgeons. In an era of value-based care, more attention should be paid to the patient outcomes and financial implications associated with arthroplasty fellowship training.

LEVEL III EVIDENCE

Retrospective Cohort Study.

The use of tobacco is a modifiable risk factor for poor outcomes and readmissions after shoulder arthroplasty

AIMS

The impact of tobacco use on readmission and medical and surgical complications has been documented in hip and knee arthroplasty. However, there remains little information about the effect of smoking on the outcome after total shoulder arthroplasty (TSA). We hypothesized that active smokers are at an increased risk of poor medical and surgial outcomes after TSA.

METHODS

Data for patients who underwent arthroplasty of the shoulder in the USA between January 2011 and December 2015 were obtained from the National Readmission Database, and 90-day readmissions and complications were documented using validated coding methods. Multivariate regression analysis was performed to quantify the risk of smoking on the outcome after TSA, while controlling for patient demographics, comorbidities, and hospital-level confounding factors.

RESULTS

A total of 196,325 non-smokers (93.1%) and 14,461 smokers (6.9%) underwent TSA during the five-year study period. Smokers had significantly increased rates of 30- and 90-day readmission (p = 0.025 and 0.001, respectively), revision within 90 days (p < 0.001), infection (p < 0.001), wound complications (p < 0.001), and instability of the prosthesis (p < 0.001). They were also at significantly greater risk of suffering from pneumonia (p < 0.001), sepsis (p = 0.001), and myocardial infarction (p < 0.001), postoperatively.

CONCLUSION

Smokers have an increased risk of readmission and medical and surgical complications after TSA. These risks are similar to those found for smokers after hip and knee arthroplasty. Many surgeons choose to avoid these elective procedures in patients who smoke. The increased risks should be considered when counselling patients who smoke before undertaking TSA.