Application of aspirin and low molecular weight heparin in major orthopedic surgery:Meta analysis of a randomized controlled trial

Objective:The perioperative period of major orthopedic surgery is associated with a high risk of thrombosis,but the best chemopreventive agent for thrombosis prophylaxis is still inconclusive.For this reason,this paper evaluated the efficacy and safety of aspirin versus low-molecular heparin using a Meta-analysis.Methods:Ten randomized controlled studies on the application of aspirin and low-molecular heparin for the prevention of deep vein thrombosis in orthopedic major surgery were retrieved by computer searches of PubMed,CochraneLibrary,WebofScience,China Knowledge Network,Wanfang,and Vipul databases according to inclusion and exclusion criteria,and the literature was managed using Endnote software,and the data were analyzed using Revman 5.3 software was used to perform Meta-analysis of the extracted data,focusing on the effects of these two drugs on pulmonary embolism,deep vein thrombosis,major bleeding events,minor bleeding events,wound complications,mortality and blood loss within 90 days after major orthopedic surgery.Results:(1)Ten randomized controlled trials of high quality were included,with a total of 12,974 patients,7,026 in the aspirin group and 5,948 in the low-molecular heparin group;(2)Meta-analysis showed that aspirin had a higher incidence of pulmonary embolism(OR=1.59,95%CI:1.02 to 2.49,P=0.04)and deep vein thrombosis(OR=1.60,95%CI:1.26 to 2.02,P=0.0001)than low molecular heparin;(3)The incidence of major bleeding events(OR=0.85,95%CI:0.47 to 1.55,P=0.60),minor bleeding events(OR=0.79,95%CI:0.55 to 1.12,P=0.18),adverse wound reactions(OR=0.79,95%CI:0.48 to 1.31,P=0.36),mortality within 90 days(OR=0.69,95%CI:0.20 to 2.31,P=0.55)and perioperative blood loss(MD=0.69,95%CI:0.20 to 2.31,P=0.55)in both drug groups,mortality within 90 days(OR=0.69,95%CI:0.20 to 2.31,P=0.55)and perioperative blood loss(MD=0.69,95%CI:0.20 to 2.31,P=0.55)were not statistically significant.Conclusion:Low-molecular heparin was superior to aspirin in the prevention of pulmonary embolism and lower extremity deep vein thrombosis after major orthopedic surgery,but the safety and adverse drug reactions of both groups were basically similar.Based on this,the authors recommend that low-molecular heparin should be preferred for the prevention of deep vein thrombosis in major orthopaedic surgery;however,the inclusion of randomized controlled trials remains limited,necessitating high-quality,large-sample,long-term follow-up clinical studies.

Chinese Orthopedic Surgeons' Practice Regarding Postoperative Thromboembolic Prophylaxis after Major Orthopedic Surgery

Objective To assess Chinese surgeon practice of thromboprophylaxis following major orthopedic surgery. Methods A questionnaire survey was conducted amongst Chinese orthopedic surgeons. A total of 293 surgeons were surveyed concerning five key aspects of thromboembolic prophylaxis after major orthopedic surgery at the proseminar of Chinese guidelines for prevention of venous thromboembolism (VTE) after major orthopedic surgery in January of 2009. Results Totally, 208 surgeons (71.0%) responded, successfully completing the questionnaire. Of them, 57.6% respondents selected combined basic, mechanical, and pharmacologic methods for thromboprophylaxis; 51.0% respondents prefer starting prophylaxis 12-24 hours after surgery; 60.3% surgeons would use chemoprophylaxis for 7-10 days; 47.6% respondents prefer VTE prevention based on patients' special conditions and needs upon discharge. "Safety" was the most repeated and emphasized factor during VTE prophylaxis. Conclusions Multimodal thromboprophylaxis is frequently used after major orthopedic surgery. Half surgeons prefer to start chemoprophylaxis 12-24 hours after surgery. Thromboprophylaxis regimen varies for discharged patients.