Re-evaluating the necessity of routine laboratory tests after high tibial osteotomy surgery

Background To assess the utility of routine postoperative laboratory tests for patients undergoing high tibial osteotomy (HTO) surgery. Methods The associations between clinical risk factors and postoperative clinical treatment were analyzed. Additionally, a logistic regression analysis was performed to detect independent risk factors for patients requiring postoperative clinical treatment. Results A total of 482 patients with symptomatic isolated medial compartment osteoarthritis from January 2015 to May 2020 were included in the present study and underwent examination by the full set of postoperative laboratory tests within 3 days after HTO surgery. However, only a small proportion of the patients with anemia (3.9 %), hypoalbuminemia (4.1 %), and abnormal serum potassium levels (3.5 %) required clinical intervention after surgery. Binary logistic regression analysis showed that the body mass index (BMI), preoperative hemoglobin level, estimated blood loss and operative duration were independent risk factors for postoperative blood transfusion in patients who underwent HTO surgery, and factors associated with albumin supplementation were female sex and preoperative albumin level. In addition, these results indicated that preoperative potassium was potential risk factor for patients who required potassium supplementation postoperatively. Conclusions Based on the analysis, we conclude that routinely ordering postoperative laboratory tests after HTO surgery is unnecessary. However, for patients with identified risk factors, routine postoperative laboratory tests are still needed.