For the fifth year in a row Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) has an infection rate that is significantly lower than the New York State average for hip replacement or revision surgeries, according to a report released by the State Department of Health. It is the only New York hospital to have achieved this result.
Another First for HSS!
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Surgeons at Hospital for Special Surgery performed more than 4, 300 hip replacement surgeries during the year which was the most in New York State. Among the 165 hospitals included in the report, HSS had a statistically lower surgical site infection rate of 0.46% compared with the state average of 1% for total hip replacement or revision hip procedures.
“At Hospital for Special Surgery, we perform almost four times more total hip replacement surgeries than any other hospital in New York State, and the most in the world, ” said Surgeon-in-Chief Thomas P. Sculco, M.D. “We are highly committed to employing the most advanced techniques to prevent this devastating complication. We are also committed to research in finding new ways to prevent infection.”
The HSS anesthesiologists are leaders in using regional anesthesia for joint replacement, which limits anesthesia only to the surgical region and reduces bleeding and surgical time. During surgery, a patient’s exposure to contaminants is minimized, because the individual is isolated from the environment by a specially designed Plexiglas enclosure, which helps to improve air flow and to restrict excess personnel at the surgical field. “We utilize less invasive surgical procedures, which reduce operating time, lessen blood loss and lead to rapid recovery. More rapid surgery is another important factor in reducing infection, ” said Sculco.
According to the press release, the Hospital for Special Surgery is a world leader in orthopedics, rheumatology and rehabilitation. The hospital is nationally ranked No. 1 in orthopedics, No. 4 in rheumatology and No. 5 in geriatrics by U.S. News & World Report (2013-14), and is the first hospital in New York State to receive Magnet Recognition for Excellence in Nursing Service from the American Nurses Credentialing Center three consecutive times.
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This is a fascinating development. In my practice we've seen similar outcomes with the revised protocol. The key differentiator seems to be patient selection criteria. Has anyone else noticed the correlation with BMI thresholds?
Great point. I'd push back slightly on the conclusion, the sample size in the cited study is too small to draw population-level inferences. That said, the directional signal is compelling and worth a larger RCT.
We implemented a similar approach last year. Early results are promising but we're still gathering 12-month follow-up data. Happy to share our protocol if anyone is interested.
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