OBJECTIVES:

The aim of our study is to investigate the postoperative quality of life of hip arthroplasty patients in the state and private health care in Hungary.

METHODS:

Patients were selected at the Department of Orthopedics, Clinical Centre of the University of Pécs and at the Da Vinci Private Clinic in Pécs. To examine quality of life, the SF-36 and Oxford Hip Score questionnaires were completed before surgery, 6 weeks and 3 months after surgery.

RESULTS:

The research involved 128 people, 60 patients in the state and 68 in the private health care. For state care patients, the Oxford Hip Score increased from 16.60 to 28.67 after 6 weeks and to 34.68 at 3 months postoperatively (p<0.001). Patients in the private care started from 22.78 points before surgery, increasing to 35.01 points at the 6th week and 40.85 points at the 3rd month (p<0.001). According to the SF-36 questionnaire, the physical health score of state care patients increased from 26.09 to 44.31 after 6 weeks and to 56.68 at the 3rd month (p<0.001), and the score of private health care patients increased from 37.32 to 64.89 (week 6) and to 77.35 (p<0.001), therefore both results were significant. Only private patients showed significant improvement in mental health scores, increasing from 68.63 to 81.09 (week 6) and then to 86.18 (p<0.001), while public health patients' score of 66.85 increased from 67.25 (week 6) to 73.86 (p=0.075)

CONCLUSIONS:

The patients in both groups showed significant improvements in OHS and SF-36 scores at 6 weeks and 3 months after surgery. The baseline scores were lower in the state care patients, but showed similar improvements in quality of life, which is one of the main purposes of hip replacement surgery.