Obstructive Sleep Apnea a Risk Factor for Life-Threatening Complications After Total Joint Arthroplasty

Fix a joint and die. Seems reasonable.

Patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) are at high risk of developing serious complications after hip or knee replacement surgery, according to a new study presented here at the American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons 2010 Annual Meeting.

"These patients have higher rates of acute renal failure, as well as low oxygen blood levels and longer hospitalization after surgery," said lead researcher Javad Parvizi, MD, professor of orthopaedic surgery at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Guess who gets OSA:



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