Relation between surgeon volume and risk of complications after total hip arthroplasty: propensity score matched cohort study.

STUDY QUESTION Is there a cut point in annual surgeon volume associated with increased risk for complications after primary elective total hip arthroplasty, and, if so, can we quantify this risk? SUMMARY ANSWER In a cohort of first time recipients of total hip arthroplasty, we found that patients operated on by surgeons who had performed 35 or fewer procedures in the year before the index arthroplasty were at increased risk for dislocation and early revision. WHAT IS KNOWN AND WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS Though there is a general consensus that increased surgeon volume is associated with a reduced risk of complications, there is a lack of consensus around what constitutes a “low” annual volume. This study showed that in patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty, the risks for dislocation and early revision increased by about 48% and 44%, respectively, when they were operated on by surgeons with annual volumes ≤35 procedures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]