Debunking the Dangers of Same-Day Discharge with 759 Surgeries

A data-driven look at why recovering in your own bed is safer and more cost-effective.

Total joint arthroplasty (TJA) cost containment has been a key focus for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, spawning significant research and programmatic change, including a move toward early discharge and outpatient TJA.

Evidence has demonstrated early discharge TJA to be safe and cost-saving, without increasing readmission rates. However, discharge on the same day of surgery has been criticized as potentially hazardous, with some surgeons advocating an overnight stay to observe patients for life-threatening complications and those that will trigger a readmission.