Bilateral total hip-replacement arthroplasty in one stage.

We reviewed 122 single-stage bilateral total hip replacements as compared with two other regimens: bilateral total hip replacement performed in stages during the same hospitalization and during separate hospitalizations. When compared with the single procedures, the duration of surgery in the one-stage procedure was not quite doubled while the blood loss was increased by about one-third and the length of stay by about one week. However, the total length of stay in the hospital was reduced by about one-half in comparison with single-admission two-stage replacements and the incidence of local and systemic complications was similar for all three groups, as were the clinical and roentgenographic results. There was one death in the single-stage group due to massive fat embolus.