Summary
This prospective study was conducted to report the effect of oral factor Xa inhibitor
and low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) on surgical complications following total
hip arthroplasty (THA). The patients with an age < 60 years were randomly assigned
to three groups (rivaroxaban, enoxaparin, and placebo) and the patients with an age
≥ 60 years were assigned to two groups (rivaroxaban and enoxaparin). All drug regimens
started at 12 hours postoperatively and continued for two weeks after surgery. Primary
measure outcome was major surgical wound complications defined as haematoma requiring
any intervention, superficial wound infection, deep periprosthetic infection, and
increased wound bleeding. Secondary measured outcome included minor surgical complications
(swelling, drainage, erythema, and oozing), organ bleeding, and venous thromboembolic
(VTE) events. A total of 184 patients aged < 60 years and 167 patients aged ≥ 60 years
were included as the analysis population per group. Up to 14 days after surgery, the
overall incidence of major surgical complications associated with thromboprophylaxis
was 6.5 % (58/886). There were no significant differences in the rate of major surgical
complications among all the three groups of the patients aged < 60 years and between
two groups of the patients aged ≥ 60 years. For the patients aged < 60 years, wound
oozing continued significantly longer in the pharmacological group than in the placebo
group, but wound infection did not occur in any case. The VTE events were similar
in all the groups.
Keywords
Oral direct factor Xa inhibitor - low-molecular-weight heparin - thromboprophylaxis
- surgical complications - total hip arthroplasty