Even in the Healthiest of Patients Bilateral Total Knee Arthroplasty May Not Be Safe According to New Study

For Immediate Release
November 7, 20208

Dallas – A presentation at the 30th AAHKS Annual Meeting reported on a study investigating whether there is a population of total knee arthroplasty patients in which bilateral total knee arthroplasty (BTKA) can be safely performed by comparing to unilateral total knee arthroplasty (UTKA) patients.

Over the course of the study, researchers queried the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program to compare 30-day mortality and complication rates between BTKA and UTKA. 8,291 BTKA patients were matched with the UTKA control group by morbidity probability, demographics, comorbidities, and laboratory values.

Lead author, Robert M. Molloy, MD, and co-authors, Jared A. Warren, DO, Ahmed Siddiqi, DO, Viktor E. Krebs, MD, Carlos A. Higuera, MD, and Nicolas S. Piuzzi, MD, found BTKA had an increased risk for complications when compared to UTKA regardless of health status. For all complications, there was three times the increased risk for even the healthiest patients. The least healthy group had four times the risk. The study also found that there was no difference in mortality between BTKA and UTKA.

It was concluded that the study should assist in the shared decision making between orthopaedic surgeons and patients by suggesting that BTKA may not be a safe option for even healthy patients compared to UTKA.

Abstract: http://meeting.aahks.org/wp-content/uploads/20_paper-30-molloy.pdf

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About the American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons
Established in 1991, the mission of AAHKS is to advance hip and knee patient care through education and advocacy. AAHKS has a membership of over 4,000 surgeons and other hip and knee health care professionals.