11 Nov 2025 • Patients with lower preoperative hemoglobin levels faced a sharply higher risk of complications after total hip arthroplasty, a large study found.

Among 25,654 cases performed between 2016 and 2023, postoperative risk climbed steadily below 13.5 g/dL. Compared with that level, patients at 11 g/dL had a 1.9-fold higher risk of periprosthetic joint infection within 90 days, while those at 8 g/dL had a 4.4-fold higher risk. Each 0.5 g/dL decline below 13.5 g/dL increased complication risk by roughly 15% to 31%, with similar trends seen for medical and surgical outcomes.

Researchers suggest anemia severity—not fixed thresholds—should guide preoperative optimization, underscoring the need to identify and correct low hemoglobin early before surgery.

Source: Science Direct | Read Full Story