Bilateral hip arthroscopy under the same anesthetic for patients with symptomatic bilateral femoroacetabular impingement: 1-year outcomes.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate whether, in patients with bilateral symptomatic femoroacetabular impingement, bilateral surgery under 1 anesthetic is safe and efficacious and allows a rapid return of function compared with staged procedures.

METHODS: Three groups were evaluated: in group 1 both hips were treated simultaneously, in group 2 both hips were treated in a staged fashion, and in group 3 a single hip was addressed. The outcome measures were anesthesia and surgical times; time in the hospital; visual analog scale score for pain on postoperative days 1, 3, 7, and 30; analgesic use; and time until the patient could bike, drive, perform office work, perform gym activities, run, and return to play. Midterm evaluation was performed with the Non-Arthritic Hip Score and Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index score at 6 and 12 months postoperatively.

RESULTS: We enrolled 76 patients (122 hips) in this study. There were 42 male and 34 female patients. The mean age was 33 years (range, 14 to 50 years), and the mean body mass index was 24 (range, 18 to 35). Group 1 comprised 26 patients (52 hips, 16 male and 10 female patients). Group 2 comprised 20 patients (40 hips, 13 male and 7 female patients), with a mean time between surgeries of 14.56 weeks. Group 3 comprised 33 patients (30 hips, 13 male and 17 female patients). No preoperative differences were found between the groups. The surgical and anesthesia times in group 1 were significantly longer than those in groups 2 and 3. We found no significant differences in postoperative visual analog scale scores, analgesic use, or length of hospital stay. Group 1 required more time before patients were able to ride a stationary bicycle (14.7 days in group 1, 7.8 days in group 2, and 8.5 days in group 3; P < .05). We found no differences between the groups regarding when patients returned to driving, performing office work, or reporting a normal gait. Each group had significant improvements in the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index and Non-Arthritic Hip Score at 6 and 12 months compared with preoperatively (P < .05). No significant differences in outcome scores were found in the 3 groups before surgery and at 6 or 12 months after surgery.

CONCLUSIONS: Simultaneous femoroacetabular impingement surgery does not lead to higher rates of complications, postoperative pain, analgesic use, or side effects. The return to daily activities is similar to a single-hip procedure with the advantage of a single rehabilitation.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III, retrospective comparative study.