Decreasing Incidence of Postoperative Ileus Following Total Hip Arthroplasty: A 17-Year Retrospective Review of 31,619 Total Hip Replacements at One Institution

Abstract

Ileus following total hip arthroplasty (THA) is a clinically and financially significant postoperative complication that has not been extensively described in the orthopaedic joint literature. Ileus has been found to occur in 0.7 to 4.0% of patients after total joint arthroplasty and as high as 5.6% in patients after revision THA.^1,2,3 In a 17-year period (2001 Fiscal Year through 2017 Fiscal Year) at one institution, the authors found an incidence of 0.674% (213/31619) following THA. In addition, the incidence of ileus following THA has drastically declined over this 17-year period, from 1.822% (19/1043) in 2001 to 0.099% (3/3036) in 2017. This decrease may be attributed to a reduction in narcotic use postoperatively, earlier ambulation following surgery, and reduction in length of hospital stay. Though postoperative ileus is not yet a preventable complication, recognition of risk factors may permit earlier intervention to ameliorate some of the morbidity associated with this condition.

Keywords

ileus - postoperative ileus - total hip arthroplasty - complication

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