Are Comorbidities Affecting Rotator Cuff Repair Outcomes? A Retrospective Review of Postoperative Costs and Complications

Our study examines the effect of comorbidities on rotator cuff repair (RCR) postoperative costs and complication rates. A retrospective review of patients receiving RCRs from 2008-2016 using the PearlDiver database was performed. We evaluated the effect of major comorbidities on postoperative costs and complications within one year of surgery. In total, 8,747 patients underwent RCR. Patients with no comorbidities had a 6-month and 12-month postoperative cost of $3,534 and $3,853, respectively. Patients with one comorbidity had 6-month postoperative costs ranging from $2,623 to $3,466 and 1-year postoperative costs ranging from $2,992 to $5,906. Patients with 3+ comorbidities receiving arthroscopic RCR had the highest complication rates at 1-, 3- and 6-month intervals (11.8%, 19.7% and 26.8%, respectively) compared to those with no comorbidities (8.1% [p = 0.139], 12.7% [p = 0.022] and 15.9% [p = 0.001], respectively). Patients with isolated comorbidities likely require similar healthcare utilization to those without, but patients with 3+ comorbidities risk greater complications and higher post-operative costs. (Journal of Surgical Orthopaedic Advances 30(1):024–029, 2021)

Key words: rotator cuff repair, postoperative costs