Abstract
Operations on patients with hemophilia A and B are complex. Studies evaluating postoperative
outcomes and costs following total knee arthroplasty (TKA) in patients with hemophilia
are limited. A retrospective review of the entire Medicare dataset from 2005 to 2014
was performed. International Classification of Disease 9th revision codes were used
to identify patients with hemophilia A and B and they were matched to controls using
a 1:1 random matching process based on age, gender, Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI),
and select comorbidity burden. The 90-day preoperative period was evaluated for comorbidities
and the 90-day postoperative period was analyzed for outcomes and reimbursements.
Logistic regression models were generated to compare outcomes between cases and controls.
A total of 4,034 patients with hemophilia were identified as having undergone TKA.
About 44.8% were between the ages of 65 and 74 and 62.4% were female. Although the
CCI was identical in both cohorts, individual comorbidities not controlled for varied
significantly. Medical complications were more frequent among the patients with hemophilia:
postoperative bleeding (odds ratio [OR]: 1.7; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.2–2.3),
deep venous thrombosis (OR: 2.3; 95% CI: 1.8–2.8), pulmonary embolism (OR: 2.9; 95%
CI: 2.1–3.9), and blood transfusions (OR: 1.8; 95% CI: 1.6–1.9). Hemophilia was associated
with higher odds of periprosthetic infection (1.78 vs. 0.98%, OR: 1.8 95% CI: 1.2–2.7).
The 90-day reimbursements were higher for patients with hemophilia (mean: $22,249
vs. $13,017, p < 0.001). Medicare beneficiaries with a diagnosis of hemophilia experience more frequent
postoperative complications and incur greater 90-day costs than matched controls following
TKA. Surgeons should consider this when optimizing patients for TKA and payors should
consider this for risk-adjusting payment models.
Keywords
TKA - hemophilia - risk factors - comorbidities
