Wall Street Journal: Doubts About Minimally Invasive Joint Surgery on Rise

October 19, 2008

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Despite the promise of minimally invasive joint replacement, recent studies indicating potentially higher rates of surgeon mistakes and complications are raising doubts about efficacy compared with that of open repair, reports the Wall Street Journal. "A study of 80 knee operations at seven U.S. hospitals concluded that 'minimal incision total knee arthroplasty demonstrated no improvement over a standard approach' The study compared such measures as the duration of the operation, infection and knee functioning 12 weeks after surgery," says the article, published on page D1 of the Oct. 14 edition.

The WSJ report notes that, when done properly, MIS techniques cause less pain and encourage speedier recoveries, however, this is not always the case. And while there are no long-term studies comparing outcomes of MIS joint replacement with those of open replacement, some short-term studies are raising questions:

Researchers at Stanford University, in a recent study of minimally invasive hip surgeries, found a relatively high rate 9 percent of "major complications," including broken bones, nerve injuries and "reoperation for leg-length discrepancy." The study is awaiting publication in the Journal of Arthroplasty

Another study reported that in 32 minimally invasive surgeries, there were more bone injuries and "significantly higher" numbers of "outliers" -- patients with knees improperly aligned -- than in standard operations

Experts say in the story that surgeons have not yet entirely caught up to the learning curve of the new techniques and technologies. Read the full story.

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