Effect of Cigarette Smoking on Patient-Reported Outcomes in Hip Arthroscopic Surgery: A Matched-Pair Controlled Study With a Minimum 2-Year Follow-up

Effect of Cigarette Smoking on Patient-Reported Outcomes in Hip Arthroscopic Surgery: A Matched-Pair Controlled Study With a Minimum 2-Year Follow-up

Authors

Lall AC, Hammarstedt JE, Gupta AG, Laseter JR, Mohr MR, Perets I, Domb BG
DOI: 10.1177/2325967118822837

Background

Cigarette smoking has been associated with poorer healing and recovery in many surgeries, but its specific effect on hip arthroscopy outcomes has not been widely studied. This research aims to evaluate how smoking status impacts clinical outcomes and patient-reported outcomes (PROs) following hip arthroscopic surgery.

Methods

This study retrospectively reviewed patients who underwent primary hip arthroscopic surgery from February 2008 to July 2015. Smokers were matched to nonsmokers based on various factors, and their PROs were assessed before and after surgery using several standardized questionnaires, including the Harris Hip Score (mHHS) and Non-Arthritic Hip Score (NAHS).

Key Findings

Smokers had lower PRO scores compared to nonsmokers both before and after surgery. While both groups showed significant improvements post-surgery, smokers still reported inferior outcomes at the latest follow-up, despite similar improvements in clinical findings.

Conclusions

Although hip arthroscopic surgery can still lead to improvements in smokers, smoking is associated with poorer functional outcomes. Patients who smoke may experience slower recovery and reduced long-term benefits from surgery.

What Does This Mean for Patients

If you smoke and are considering hip arthroscopy, quitting smoking before the procedure could help improve your chances of a better recovery and more significant long-term results.