Smoking cessation programs benefit patients prior to joint replacements

https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2017-03/nlmc-scp031317.php

Public Release: 16-Mar-2017
Smoking cessation programs benefit patients prior to joint replacements
NYU Langone Medical Center / New York University School of Medicine

Smokers who needed a hip or knee replacement experienced better surgical outcomes and fewer adverse events including hospital readmissions, surgical site infections and blood clots if they were enrolled in a smoking cessation program prior to surgery, according to preliminary new research that needs to be confirmed by larger studies.

The researchers recommend that orthopaedic surgeons consider implementing smoking cessation programs, which may lead to better outcomes for this higher-risk patient population and reductions in health care costs. Their findings were presented March 16, 2017 at the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) 2017 Annual Meeting in San Diego, California.

"We've known that smokers do worse than non-smokers after joint replacements, and now this research shows there's good early evidence that quitting smoking before surgery may improve their outcomes," says lead study author Amy Wasterlain, MD, a fourth-year resident in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at NYU Langone. "Not every risk factor can be reduced before a joint replacement, but smoking status is one that should be a top priority for orthopaedic surgeons and their patients."

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