Incidence Of Symptomatic Venous Thromboembolism In Patients With Hemophilia Undergoing Joint Replacement Surgery: A Retrospective Study

Hip and knee arthroplasty (THA and TKA), in general, pose a high risk for venous thromboembolism (VTE), and pharmacologic VTE prophylaxis is often strongly recommended. In patients (pt) with hemophilia undergoing THA/TKA, given the underlying bleeding diathesis, the routine use of pharmacologic VTE prophylaxis is controversial. In this study, we report THA/TKA outcomes in pt with hemophilia in our institution.

Retrospective chart review of Mayo Comprehensive hemophilia center pt undergoing THA and TKA. Medical records were reviewed for objectively documented VTE for up to 3 months after surgery.

42 consecutive pt with hemophilia A (n=38) or B (n=4) underwent 71 operations: THA (n=32) and TKA (n=39) over a period of 39 years. All pt received compression stockings up to 6 weeks after surgery; 6/71 (8.4%) received sequential intermittent compression and 2/71 (2.8%) received postoperative low molecular weight heparin (LMWH). Symptomatic femoral vein DVT occurred in 1/42 pt (2%); (1/71, 1.4% of operations (1.4%)), 10 days after THA for traumatic hip fracture and after the LMWH was discontinued. The patient was subsequently found to be heterozygous for the factor V Leiden gene mutation. For up to 3 months after surgery, there were no additional cases of symptomatic DVT. There was no unexpected bleeding in the 2 patients receiving LMWH.

In this this study, routine use of compression stockings without the use of pharmacologic prophylaxis resulted in a low rate of symptomatic VTE in patients with hemophilia. This may be similar to the incidence in the general population receiving LMWH (Heit, JA et al Annals of Internal Medicine 2000) A limited sample size precludes definitive recommendations for practice. For appropriate high risk patients, limited use of pharmacologic prophylaxis may still be important.

No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.