Big decrease in death rates after hip replacements

Undergoing hip replacement surgery in the UK has become much safer in the last 10 years, says a study published in The Lancet.

Mortality rates in the first 90 days after surgery halved from 0.6% in 2003 to 0.3% in 2011. Experts assessed 409,000 people who had hip replacements for osteoarthritis between 2003 and 2011, and said the reduction in death rates is due to new treatments and techniques.

Unsurprisingly, people with some medical conditions are at a higher risk of death in the 90 days after surgery than others. A previous heart attack makes people three times more likely to die, diabetes and renal disease mean people are twice as likely to die, and those with severe liver disease are ten times more likely to die.

Interestingly, the study also found that people who are overweight have a lower risk of post-surgery death than those with a normal body mass index.

“It is extremely good news that the risk of death after hip replacements has reduced so dramatically in England and Wales,” says Prof Ashley Blom, who led the study. “It is also very exciting that we can further reduce the risk of postoperative death by adopting four relatively simple measures.”