Abstract
We evaluated 27 patients (54 joints) with rheumatoid arthritis who underwent simultaneous replacement of two lower extremity joints in our hospital, with regard to postoperative results, anesthesia, hemorrhage volume, transfusion volume, hospitalization period, and complications. The 27 patients consisted of 20 with simultaneous bilateral TKR, 4 with simultaneous THR and TKR, 2 with simultaneous TKR and TAR, and 1 with simultaneous bilateral THR. Selected for the control group were 4 patients with bilateral TKR and 6 with THR and TKR in which the replacements had been done at different times.
Favorable postoperative results were obtained both in the double joint simultaneous replacement group and in the control group. There were no significant differences in transfusion volume or complications, either, though with respect to anesthesia and hemorrhage volume per operation, extreme caution should be exercised with surgical invasion in two-joint simultaneous replacement groups. The hospitalization period of the two-joint simultaneous replacement group was approximately half as long as that of the control group.
These findings have demonstrated that simultaneous replacement of two lower extremity joints on patients with rheumatoid arthritis allows them to attain functional goal early and to reduce social, economic psychological burdens on their families.
