ArticleAnnals of the Royal College of Surgeons of England2018
There is no 'weekend effect' in elective orthopaedic surgery.
Article in Annals of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
4 citing papers in PubMed.
- Predictors for day case surgery in shoulder arthroplasty: a study using the National Joint Registry and Hospital Episode Statistics for England.Journal of orthopaedic surgery and research · 2025Article
- The impact of "weekend effect" on the outcomes of total joint arthroplasty in the United States.International orthopaedics · 2025Article
- Postoperative Outcomes Following Preweekend Surgery.JAMA network open · 2025Article
- Is there a 'weekend effect' in elective lower limb arthroplasty?Annals of the Royal College of Surgeons of England · 2021Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
8 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Introduction The 'weekend effect' is said to occur when patient outcomes are adversely affected by the day of the week on which they present to hospital or have surgery. However, it is uncertain whether such a phenomenon exists for elective orthopaedic surgery. We investigated whether there is a 'weekend effect' in elective orthopaedic patients. Methods Retrospectively collected data were obtained from our institution's electronic patient records. We collected demographic and International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems tenth revision coding data for all included patients. Multivariate analyses identified covariate-adjusted risk factors, associated with prolonged stays. Thirty-day mortality data were assessed according to the day on which surgery occurred. Results We analysed data for 892 patients over a one-year period. During the year, 457 patients had a total hip and 435 had a total knee replacement; 814 patients (91.3%) underwent surgery during the week, while 78 (8.7%) had surgery on a Saturday. There was no difference in average length of stay between the groups (5.0, 2.6 vs 5.0, 3.4, P = 0.95). Variables associated with prolonged hospitalisation included increasing age (covariate adjusted relative risk 1.02, 95% confidence interval 1.01-1.03, P < 0.001) and an American Society of Anesthesiologists score of 2, (relative risk 1.6, 95% confidence interval 1.15-2.20, P = 0.005). There was one death in a patient who underwent surgery on a Monday. Conclusions There is no 'weekend effect' for elective orthopaedic surgery.
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