Outpatient total shoulder arthroplasty: A cost-identification analysis

BACKGROUND: As demand for total shoulder arthroplasty (TSA) rises, containing costs will become increasingly important. We hypothesize that performing ambulatory TSA procedures results in significant cost savings. METHODS: A model was created to evaluate cost savings. Hospital stay length and cost, pain control method and cost, and number of annual outpatient TSA procedures were estimated based on literature. RESULTS: Estimated cost savings per patient were $747 to $15,507 (base case $5594), total annual savings of $4.1M to $349M (base case $82M), and ten-year savings of $51M to $5.4B (base case $1.1B). CONCLUSION: Ambulatory TSA procedures result in significant cost savings.