Original Research
Comparison of Outcomes of Using Spinal Versus General Anesthesia in Total Hip Arthroplasty
Am J Orthop. 2007 July;36(7):E101-E106
Author and Disclosure Information
Stephen G. Maurer, MD, Andrew L. Chen, MD, Rudi Hiebert, MSc, Gavin Pereira, MD, and Paul E. Di Cesare, MD
Dr. Maurer and Dr. Chen were Residents and Mr. Hiebert is Epidemiologist, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, New York University–Hospital for Joint Diseases, New York, New York.
Dr. Pereira is Consultant in Orthopaedics and Trauma, University Hospital Coventry and Warwickshire, Coventry, United Kingdom.
Dr. Di Cesare is Chairman, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of California at Davis Medical Center, Sacramento, California.
Blood loss, operative time, and rate of complications were compared in 606 patients undergoing primary unilateral total hip arthroplasty with either spinal anesthesia (SA) or general anesthesia (GA). Patients were followed for 2 years after surgery. Compared with GA, SA resulted in mean reductions of 12% in operative time, 25% in estimated intraoperative blood loss, 38% in rate of operative blood loss, and 50% in intraoperative transfusion requirements. Compared with patients receiving GA, patients receiving SA had higher hemoglobin levels on postoperative days 1 and 2 and a 20% lower total transfusion requirement. SA appears superior to GA for this procedure.