Variations in surgeons' recovery expectations for patients undergoing total joint arthroplasty: a survey of the AAHKS membership.

Recovery expectations (RE) after total hip and knee arthroplasty (THA-TKA) influence outcomes. We surveyed AAHKS members to determine variation in surgeon RE. Four vignettes depicting patients with high and low expectations after THA and TKA were distributed with a validated RE survey. Responses were analyzed for clinically significant differences between surgeons and within surgeons. Of 1049 surgeons surveyed, 358 (34%) responded. There was a clinically significant difference in 85% (high-THA), 46% (low-THA), 74% (high-TKA), and 57% (low-TKA) of pairs. Disagreement was significantly greater in high expectation vignettes. Individual surgeons distinguished between high and low expectation patients in 76% (THA) and 72% (TKA) of cases. There was no association between surgeon RE and practice demographics. Wide variations in RE were observed, especially among high expectation patients.