The clinical utility of immediate post-operative PACU plain film radiographs following uncomplicated open Latarjet procedure - An institutional series of consecutive patients.

BACKGROUND

Immediate post-operative plain film radiograph x-rays in PACU following open Latarjet procedure are often ordered as routine. However, such radiographs utilize institutional cost and time, whilst potentially exposing patients to often-unnecessary additional radiation. This study sought to evaluate whether routine immediate post-operative radiographs following uncomplicated open Latarjet procedures impacted clinical decision-making in our institution.

METHODS

From 2017 to 2020, patients who underwent open Latarjet procedure by one of four fellowship-trained upper limb surgeons at a single institution were included in this study. Post-operative radiographs taken immediately in PACU were reviewed to determine if any reported radiographic findings impacted on clinical decision-making in the immediate post-operative setting. SPSS was used for descriptive statistics.

RESULTS

A total of 337 patients underwent an X-ray in PACU immediate after uncomplicated open Latarjet procedure. Overall, 98.5% were male (n = 332), the mean patient age of included patients was 22.9 ± 4.2 years. No patient had an abnormal finding on their post-operative x-ray. Two patients returned to the operating room in the immediate post-operative period, both requiring washout and debridement due to haemtoma or superficial wound infection.

CONCLUSION

The findings of this study suggest that the use of post-operative plain films in PACU following open Latarjet procedure remains a costly use of resources, with little ultimate impact on clinical decision making in the short-term post-operatively.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: IV - Institutional Case Series of Consecutive Patients.