Do Antiplatelet Drugs Increase the Risk of Bleeding After Dental Implant Surgery? A Case-and-Crossover Study

Dental Implant Placement in a Patient With Polycythemia Vera: A Case Report

Polycythemia vera is a malignant myeloproliferative neoplasm. It is characterized by the proliferation of all 3 major hematopoietic cells, including erythrocytes, leucocytes, and platelets. The resultant hypervolemia and hyperviscosity cause patients with polycythemia vera to be at risk of bleeding and thrombotic complications. This article reports a rare case in which a patient with preexisting polycythemia vera at a dental clinic underwent dental implant placement and provides the possibility of dental implant placement with an excellent outcome for patients with polycythemia vera.

Bleeding Disorders and Dental Implants: Review and Clinical Indications

BACKGROUND

Bleeding disorders can be divided into three categories: congenital coagulation disorders (CCDs), antiplatelet-induced bleeding disorders (APBDs) and anticoagulant-induced bleeding disorders (ACBDs). Implant placement can be challenging in these kinds of patients. The aim of this study is to provide evidence on implant surgery in patients with bleeding disorders and to generate some practical recommendations for clinicians.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Pubmed/MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science and Cochrane Library databases were screened. The latest search was performed in July 2022. Case reports, case series, cohort studies, cross-sectional studies, case control studies, reviews, consensus reports, surveys and animal studies were included in the analysis.

RESULTS

Seventeen articles on CCDs were found, fourteen on APBDs and twenty-six on ACBDs. Most of these articles were case reports or case series. Patients with CCDs can be treated after the infusion of the missing coagulation factor. Patients with APBDs can be treated without withdrawing the therapy. Patients with ACBDs should be treated depending on the anticoagulative medication.

CONCLUSION

Despite the low level of evidence, dental implants can be safely placed in patients with bleeding disorders. However, careful preoperative evaluation and the adoption of local and post-operative bleeding control measures are mandatory.

Risk of bleeding with dental implant surgery in patients on anticoagulant or antiplatelet drugs: a systematic review and meta-analysis

INTRODUCTION

A large number of patients under oral anticoagulant (OAC) or antiplatelet (AP) therapy require dental implantation. We systematically reviewed evidence on the risk of bleeding after implant placement with continued OAC or AP therapy.

METHODS

PubMed, Embase and CENTRAL were searched for studies comparing bleeding outcomes after implant placement between OAC/AP therapy vs. controls or OAC vs. AP therapy.

RESULTS

Seven studies were included. Pooled analysis showed no significant difference in the risk of bleeding with continued OAC therapy vs. control (RR 1.81 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.70, 4.63 I² = 14% p = .22). Subgroup analysis depending on the type of OAC showed there was a non-significant tendency of increased risk of bleeding with Vitamin K antagonists (VKAs) (RR 3.42 95% CI 1.00, 11.67 I² = 23% p = .05) but not with direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) (RR 1.67 95% CI 0.49, 5.70 I² = 0% p = .41). Limited data suggest an increased risk of bleeding with OAC as compared to AP (RR 0.08 95% CI 0.01, 0.76 I² = 0% p = .03).

CONCLUSIONS

Continuation of OAC therapy in patients undergoing implant surgery does not increase the risk of bleeding provided local haemostatic measures are used. The indirect comparison suggests bleeding tendency may be higher with VKAs as compared to DOAC.

A prospective comparative study to assess the risk of postoperative bleeding after dental surgery while on medication with direct oral anticoagulants, antiplatelet agents, or vitamin K antagonists

Background

The aim of this prospective study was to investigate the occurrence and severity of postoperative bleeding following dentoalveolar surgery in patients with uninterrupted anticoagulation therapy (AT).

Methods

Patients receiving AT (vitamin k antagonist (VK), direct oral anticoagulants (DOAC) or antiplatelet therapy (APT) and in need of surgical intervention classified as A, B or C (single or serial tooth extraction, osteotomy, or implant placement) were studied between 2019 and 2021. A healthy, non-anticoagulated cohort (CG) served as a control group. The main outcomes measured were the frequency of postoperative bleeding, the classification of the severity of postoperative bleeding (1a, 1b, 1c, 2, 3), and the correlation with the AT surgical intervention classification.

Results

In total, 195 patients were included in the study, with 95 patients in the AT group and 100 in the CG. Postoperative bleeding was significant in the AT group vs. the CG (p = 0.000), with a significant correlation with surgical intervention class C (p = 0.013) and the severity class of bleeding 1a (p = 0.044). There was no significant correlation with procedures of type A, B or C for the other postoperative bleeding gradations (1b, 1c, 2 and 3). There was a statistically significant difference in the occurrence of postoperative bleeding events between the DOAC/APT group and the VK group (p = 0.036), but there were no significant differences regarding the other AT agents.

Conclusion

The continuation of anticoagulation therapy for surgical interventions also seems reasonable for high-risk interventions. Although significantly more postoperative bleeding occurs, the severity of bleeding is low. The perioperative management of anticoagulated patients requires well-coordinated interdisciplinary teamwork and detailed instruction of patients.

Clinical trial registration The study is registered (29.03.2021) at the German clinical trial registry (DRKS00024889).

Advances in Antiplatelet Therapy for Dentofacial Surgery Patients: Focus on Past and Present Strategies

BACKGROUND

Nowadays, patients involved in antiplatelet therapy required special attention during oral surgery procedures, due to the antiplatelet drugs assumption. The motivations of the assumption may be different and related to the patient's different systemic condition. For this reason, accordingly to the current international guidelines, different protocols can be followed. The aim of this work is to analyze how the dentist's approach to these patients has changed from the past to the present, evaluating the risk exposure for the patients.

METHODS

This review paper considered different published papers in literature through quoted scientific channels, going in search of "ancient" works in such a way as to highlight the differences in the protocols undertaken. The analyzed manuscripts are in the English language, taking into consideration reviews, case reports, and case series in such a way as to extrapolate a sufficient amount of data and for evaluating the past therapeutic approaches compared to those of today.

RESULTS

Colleagues in the past preferred to subject patients to substitution therapy with low molecular weight anticoagulants, by suspending antiplatelet agents to treatment patients, often for an arbitrary number of days. The new guidelines clarify everything, without highlighting an increased risk of bleeding during simple oral surgery in patients undergoing antiplatelet therapy.

CONCLUSION

Either patients take these medications for different reasons, because of cardiovascular pathologies, recent cardiovascular events, or even for simple prevention, although the latest research shows that there is no decrease of cardiovascular accidents in patients who carry out preventive therapy. Surely, it will be at the expense of the doctor to assess the patient's situation and risk according to the guidelines. For simple oral surgery, it is not necessary to stop therapy with antiplatelet agents because the risk of bleeding has not increased, and is localized to a post-extraction alveolus or to an implant preparation, compared to patients who do not carry out this therapy. From an analysis of the results it emerges that the substitutive therapy should no longer be performed and that it is possible to perform oral surgery safely in patients who take antiplatelet drugs, after a thorough medical history. Furthermore, by suspending therapy, we expose our patients to more serious risks, concerning their main pathology, where present.