Day surgery anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction: Sheffield experiences

A review of the safety, practicality and cost effectiveness of day surgery anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction was studied in the British set-up. We evaluated 20 patients prospectively who underwent ACL reconstruction as a day surgery procedure for pain control, recovery time, post-operative complications and cost effectiveness. All patients on a verbal response score (VRS) for pain expressed themselves as satisfied or very satisfied. All patients regained a range of movement of 0-90 degrees by 1 week and 0-130 degrees by 6 weeks post-operatively. None of the patients required hospitalisation, only two patients had superficial wound infections at the graft-harvesting site. Cost analysis showed that day surgery ACL reconstruction was cost effective. The average saving per patient was in the range of 20-25% when compared to inpatient ACL reconstruction. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.