OBJECTIVES

: Anterior approach (AA) of total hip arthroplasty (THA) has recently been introduced at the Department of Traumatology and Hand Surgery (DTHS) at the University of Pecs, replacing the traditional anterior-lateral (AL) approach. Due to the growing demand for the intervention, the evaluation of the effect of surgical approach on the direct healthcare cost of the procedure is essential. The aim of this study was to measure the impact of anterior approach on the costs from the perspective of the provider, compared to traditional anterior-lateral approach in a tertiary hospital setting in Hungary.

METHODS

: Data on patient demographics, medical and treatment information as well as the resource utilization data were collected from electronic records in 2017 on patients undergoing AA or AL. A retrospective, cost minimization analysis was performed to determine which alternative has a lower direct healthcare cost. The actual cost were determined from provider’s perspective, based on the relevant unit costs and resource use regarding the intervention.

RESULTS

: CONCLUSIONS

: This single-center, observational study shows that anterior approach of THA minimizes cost compared to anterior-lateral, thus AA is a cost-effective intervention compared to AL, however, the generalizability of these findings for health systems with different cost structure may be limited.