Hip Surgery Outcomes Poor in the Very Elderly

Doubled short-term mortality rates seen after hip-fracture surgery in patients over age 95

MONDAY Sept. 8 (HealthDay News) -- In very elderly patients who undergo either surgery for hip fracture or total hip replacement, survival and other outcomes are relatively poor, according to two studies published in the September issue of the Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery.

In one study, Graeme Holt, of Hairmyres Hospital in Glasgow, Scotland, and colleagues compared mortality rates in 919 patients aged 95 and older with a control group of 15,461 subjects aged 75 to 89. They found that mortality rates for the extremely elderly group were about twice as high at 30 days (16.8 percent versus 8.3 percent) and at 120 days (38.1 percent versus 21 percent) even after adjusting for case-mix variables.

In a second study, Daisuke Ogino, Ph.D., of Helsinki University Central Hospital in Finland, and colleagues analyzed outcomes in 6,540 patients aged 80 and older who underwent total hip arthroplasty. Among the 3,065 patients who died following surgery, they found that the mean longevity was 5.1 years.

"In Finland, the increase in the number of patients 80 years of age and older has been projected to be 41 percent from 2002 to 2015 and 140 percent from 2002 to 2030," Ogino and colleagues write. "This increase will be accompanied by an increased demand for total hip replacement. However, in this age group, it is equally important to note that the likelihood of death is a 'competing risk' reducing the likelihood of the demand."

Abstract - Holt
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Abstract - Ogino
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)

Related Stories

No stories found.
logo
www.healthday.com