Mortality after total hip and knee arthroplasty in a medium-volume university practice

This study evaluated the mortality after total knee and hip arthroplasties by a single surgeon in a medium-volume university referral practice. For 610 knee arthroplasties, the in-hospital mortality rate was 0.16%, and overall, 2 patients (0.33%) died within the first 90 days. There was no significant difference in mortality at 1 year or 2 years (P=.55) between primary bilateral one-stage and primary unilateral total knee arthroplasties. For 1,108 total hip arthroplasties, the early in-hospital mortality rate was 0.18%, and overall 5 patients (0.45%) died within the first 90 days. For the entire group of arthroplasties, the overall mortality at 1 year and 2 years was significantly less (both P<.05) than the number of expected deaths in the general population.