Management of Anticoagulation/Antiplatelet Medication and Venous Thromboembolism Prophylaxis in Elective Spine Surgery: Concise Clinical Recommendations Based on a Modified Delphi Process
Document Type
Article
Abstract
STUDY DESIGN: Delphi method. OBJECTIVE: To gain consensus on the following questions: (1) When should anticoagulation/antiplatelet (AC/AP) medication be stopped before elective spine surgery?; (2) When should AC/AP medication be restarted after elective spine surgery?; (3) When, how, and in whom should venous thromboembolism (VTE) chemoprophylaxis be started after elective spinal surgery? SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: VTE can lead to significant morbidity after adult spine surgery, yet postoperative VTE prophylaxis practices vary considerably. The management of preoperative AC/AP medication is similarly heterogeneous. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Delphi method of consensus development consisting of three rounds (January 26, 2021, to June 21, 2021). RESULTS: Twenty-one spine surgeons were invited, and 20 surgeons completed all rounds of questioning. Consensus (>70% agreement) was achieved in 26/27 items. Group consensus stated that preoperative Direct Oral Anticoagulants should be stopped two days before surgery, warfarin stopped five days before surgery, and all remaining AC/AP medication and aspirin should be stopped seven days before surgery. For restarting AC/AP medication postoperatively, consensus was achieved for low-risk/medium-risk/high-risk patients in 5/5 risk factors (VTE history/cardiac/ambulation status/anterior approach/operation). The low/medium/high thresholds were POD7/POD5/POD2, respectively. For VTE chemoprophylaxis, consensus was achieved for low-risk/medium-risk/high-risk patients in 12/13 risk factors (age/BMI/VTE history/cardiac/cancer/hormone therapy/operation/anterior approach/staged separate days/staged same days/operative time/transfusion). The one area that did not gain consensus was same-day staged surgery. The low-threshold/medium-threshold/high-threshold ranges were postoperative day 5 (POD5) or none/POD3-4/POD1-2, respectively. Additional VTE chemoprophylaxis considerations that gained consensus were POD1 defined as the morning after surgery regardless of operating finishing time, enoxaparin as the medication of choice, and standardized, rather than weight-based, dose given once per day. CONCLUSIONS: In the first known Delphi study to address anticoagulation/antiplatelet recommendations for elective spine surgery (preoperatively and postoperatively); our Delphi consensus recommendations from 20 spine surgeons achieved consensus on 26/27 items. These results will potentially help standardize the management of preoperative AC/AP medication and VTE chemoprophylaxis after adult elective spine surgery.
Medical Subject Headings
Adult; Humans; Venous Thromboembolism (etiology); Postoperative Complications (etiology); Anticoagulants (therapeutic use); Spine (surgery); Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors; Risk Factors
Publication Date
3-1-2023
Publication Title
Spine
E-ISSN
1528-1159
Volume
48
Issue
5
First Page
301
Last Page
309
PubMed ID
36730667
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
10.1097/BRS.0000000000004540
Recommended Citation
Zuckerman, Scott L.; Berven, Sigurd; Streiff, Michael B.; Kerolus, Mena; Buchanan, Ian A.; Ha, Alex; Bonfield, Christopher M.; Buchholz, Avery L.; Buchowski, Jacob M.; Burch, Shane; Devin, Clinton J.; Dimar, John R.; Gum, Jeffrey L.; Good, Christopher; Kim, Han Jo; Kim, Jun S.; Lombardi, Joseph M.; Mandigo, Christopher E.; Bydon, Mohamad; Oppenlander, Mark E.; Polly, David W.; Poulter, Gregory; Shah, Suken A.; Singh, Kern; Than, Khoi D.; Spyropoulos, Alex C.; Kaatz, Scott; Jain, Amit; Schutzer, Richard W.; Wang, Tina Z.; Mazique, Derek C.; and Lenke, Lawrence G., "Management of Anticoagulation/Antiplatelet Medication and Venous Thromboembolism Prophylaxis in Elective Spine Surgery: Concise Clinical Recommendations Based on a Modified Delphi Process" (2023). Neurosurgery. 1811.
https://scholar.barrowneuro.org/neurosurgery/1811