A Case-Control Study of Hip Fracture Surgery Timing and Mortality at an Academic Hospital: Day Surgery May Be Safer than Night Surgery

Time from hospital admission to operative intervention has been consistently demonstrated to have a significant impact on mortality. Nonetheless, the relationship between operative start time (day versus night) and associated mortality has not been thoroughly investigated. Methods: All patients who underwent hip fracture surgery at a single academic institution were retrospectively analyzed. Operative start times were dichotomized: (1) day operation—7 a.m. to 4 p.m.; (2) night operation—4 p.m. to 7 a.m. Outcomes between the two groups were evaluated. Results: Overall, 170 patients were included in this study. The average admission to operating room (OR) time was 26.0 ± 18.0 h, and 71.2% of cases were performed as a day operation. The overall 90-day mortality rate was 7.1% and was significantly higher for night operations (18.4% vs. 2.5%; p = 0.001). Following multivariable logistic regression analysis, only night operations were independently associated with 90-day mortality (aOR 8.91, 95% confidence interval 2.19–33.22; p = 0.002). Moreover, these patients were significantly more likely to return to the hospital within 50 days (34.7% vs. 19.0%; p = 0.029) and experience mortality prior to discharge (8.2% vs. 0.8%; p = 0.025). Notably, admission to OR time was not associated with in-hospital mortality (29.22 vs. 25.90 h; p = 0.685). Hip fracture surgery during daytime operative hours may minimize mortalities.