OBJECTIVES:

The aim of our study is to compare data on previous hip replacement surgery and indication of the operation in state (S) and private (P) health care in Hungary.

METHODS:

Hip replacement patients were selected from the Department of Orthopedics, Clinical Centre of the University of Pécs and at the Da Vinci Private Clinic in Pécs, Hungary. They completed a questionnaire preoperatively including information about their disease, previous and current hip replacement surgery.

RESULTS:

The research involved 208 people, 96 patients in the state and 112 in the private health care. The main surgical indication for hip replacement surgery was coxarthrosis (S: 79.17%, P: 84.68%). Revision only occurred in the state care. No significant difference was found in the duration of hip joint pain between sectors (S: 4.41, P: 4.81 years). The number of comorbidities was significantly higher in the state care (S: 5.05, P: 4.09) (p=0.001). The proportion of surgery involving the right and left lower limb was nearly equal. Previous prosthesis surgery was performed in 30.21% of patients in the state and 15.18% of private patients (p=0.009). 100% of the previous surgeries of state patients were also performed in the state sector (p<0.001), 50% of private patients had been operated in the state and 50% in the private sector. 43.75% of state patients and only 28.57% of private patients regularly used a walking aid before surgery (p=0.023). Among them, the most common was using a walking stick or an elbow crutch.

CONCLUSIONS:

The main indication for hip replacement surgery was coxarthrosis, with revision appearing only in the state sector. The incidence of previous prosthesis surgery was higher in state sector patients. Our results allowed us to see which health care sector our patients had chosen for previous surgery may have influenced their current choice.