Simultaneous bilateral total hip arthroplasty—a survey of Irish orthopaedic surgeons’ practice

Bilateral total hip arthroplasty may be performed simultaneously (SIMTHA) or in two staged operations.

To assess attitudes towards and utilization of SIMTHA in Irish orthopaedic practice, and to assess patient and surgeon factors which are associated with the management of bilateral hip arthritis.

A 16-question electronic survey (Google Forms) was distributed via email to consultant Irish orthopaedic surgeons who perform total hip arthroplasty, followed by a reminder 1 month later. A p value < 0.05 was considered significant.

There were 53 responses from arthroplasty surgeons, with 28% reporting they never perform SIMTHA, 26% have performed ≤ 5 SIMTHA, and 46% do ≥ 1 SIMTHA per year. Amongst the 15 surgeons who do not do SIMTHA, 60% reported a preference for staged arthroplasty, 20% felt it was not feasible in their institution, and a third reported a lack of experience with SIMTHA. There was a significant association between not performing SIMTHA and years of consultant experience (p = 0.002). There were no institutional guidelines on eligibility criteria for SIMTHA. The most common time interval for staged bilateral arthroplasty was 6–12 weeks (60%). Overall, 56% of surgeons felt SIMTHA is underutilised in the Irish healthcare system; this was associated with greater SIMTHA volume (p = 0.023).

Half of the Irish arthroplasty surgeons report SIMTHA is a regular aspect of their practice. Performing SIMTHA is associated with greater arthroplasty volume, more recent consultant appointments, and a perception that the operation is underutilised.