Safety Assessment of a Fast Track Protocol in Patients Undergoing Total Knee Arthroplasty
N.H.M. Ooka, B.M.P. Coelho, J.V.C. Vera, A.L.D.C. Pessoa, N.S.P. De Oliveira, L.P. De OliveiraObjective:
The objective of this study was to analyze the safety and clinical outcomes of implementing a Rapid Recovery protocol in patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty at a university hospital.
Methods:
This is a prospective, comparative, and observational study conducted with patients who underwent surgery between January 2020 and July 2025. Patients were divided into two groups according to the care protocol adopted: Rapid Recovery and conventional. Length of hospital stay, incidence of clinical and surgical complications, as well as the demographic and clinical profile of the patients were evaluated.
Results:
The results showed that the Rapid Recovery protocol was predominant, with shorter hospital stays, generally less than three days, without a significant increase in complication rates or adverse events. Most of the observed complications were of low severity and clinically treatable. Rigorous patient selection, combined with standardized practices and multidisciplinary collaboration, was fundamental to the positive results.
Conclusion:
It can be concluded that the Fast Track protocol, when applied in the studied context, is safe and efficient, assisting in the optimization of hospital resources and improving the quality of care, provided that rigorous inclusion criteria and constant monitoring are met.