Effectiveness of platelet inhibition on major adverse cardiac events in non-cardiac surgery after percutaneous coronary intervention: a prospective cohort study

Preoperative antiplatelet therapy may be a risk factor for postoperative ischemic complications in intracranial hemorrhage patients

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Spontaneous intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) patients are still at risk of postoperative ischemic complications (PICs) after surgery. In addition, the proportion of patients receiving antiplatelet therapy (APT) in ICH patients increased significantly with age. This study aims to evaluate the impact of preoperative antiplatelet therapy on PICs in ICH patients.

METHODS

This is a cohort study that retrospectively analyzed the data of ICH patients who underwent surgical treatment. PICs rate was compared between patients with preoperative ATP and those without preoperative ATP. Univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted to evaluate the impact of preoperative APT on PICs. In addition, Kaplan-Meier method was used for survival analysis and the impact of PICs on patients' postoperative outcomes was evaluated.

RESULTS

A total of 216 patients were included in this study. There were 47 patients (21.76%) with preoperative APT; 169 patients (78.24%) without preoperative APT. The incidence of PICs in the APT group was significantly higher when compared with that in the nAPT group (36.17% vs. 20.71%, p = 0.028＜0.05). Furthermore, significant differences were both observed in multivariate analysis (p = 0.035＜0.05) and survival analysis (log rank χ2 = 5.415, p = 0.020＜0.05). However, there was no significant difference between the outcomes of patients suffering from PICs and that of patients not suffering from PICs (p = 0.377 > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

In conclusion, preoperative APT may be a risk factor for PICs in ICH patients undergoing surgical treatment significantly.

What should be done when appropriate antiplatelet therapy fails to prevent stent thrombosis? Two case reports

When performing noncardiac surgery in high-risk patients with PCI, anesthesiologists should be prepared for in-stent thrombosis, that do not respond to conventional treatments and cardiopulmonary resuscitation. VA-ECMO is an advantageous treatment method in those patients.

Comparison of Early and Late Surgeries after Coronary Stent Implantation in Patients with Normal Preoperative Troponin Level: A Retrospective Study

Current guidelines recommend delaying noncardiac surgery for 6 months after drug eluting stent implantation. However, this recommendation is largely based on limited evidence and various event definitions. Whether early surgery within 6 months of coronary stent implantation increases myocardial injury in patients with normal preoperative high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I (hs-cTnI) has not yet been investigated. This retrospective study assessed patients who received coronary stent implantation and underwent noncardiac surgery (vascular, abdominal, or thoracic) between 2010 and 2017 with normal preoperative hs-cTnI (n = 186). Patients were divided into early (within 6 months of PCI) and late (after 6 months of PCI) groups. The primary endpoint was the incidence of myocardial injury as diagnosed by hs-cTnI within 3 days post-operation. The secondary outcomes were myocardial infarction, stent thrombosis, emergent coronary revascularization, major bleeding (bleeding requiring transfusion or intracranial bleeding), stroke, renal failure, heart failure, or death within 30 days post-operation. Inverse probability treatment weighting (IPTW) was carried out to adjust for the intergroup baseline differences. Myocardial injury occurred in 28.6% (8/28) and 27.8% (44/158) of the early and late groups, respectively, with no difference between groups (odds ratio [OR] 1.067, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.404, 2.482; p = 0.886). Secondary outcomes did not differ between the groups. IPTW analysis also showed no differences in myocardial injury and secondary outcomes between the groups. In conclusion, early surgery within 6 months after coronary stent implantation did not increase the incidence of myocardial injury in patients with normal preoperative hs-cTnI.

Association Between Antifibrinolytic Therapy and Perioperative Outcomes in Patients With Coronary Artery Stents Undergoing Noncardiac Surgery

BACKGROUND

Patients with existing coronary artery stents are at an increased risk for major adverse cardiac events (MACEs) when undergoing noncardiac surgery (NCS). Although the use of antifibrinolytic (AF) therapy in NCS has significantly increased in the past decade, the relationship between perioperative AF use and its association with MACEs among patients with existing coronary artery stents has yet to be assessed. In this study, we aim to evaluate the association of MACEs in patients with existing coronary artery stents who receive perioperative AF therapy during orthopedic surgery.

METHODS

A single-center retrospective cohort study was conducted in adult patients with existing coronary artery stents who underwent orthopedic surgery from 2008 to 2018. Two cohorts were established: patients with existing coronary artery stents who did not receive perioperative AF and patients with coronary artery stents who received perioperative AF. Associations between AF use and the primary outcome of MACEs within 30 days postoperatively and the secondary outcomes of thrombotic complications, excessive surgical bleeding, and intensive care unit (ICU) admissions were analyzed using logistic regression models. Inverse probability of treatment weighting was used to control for confounding. Secondary analyses examining the association between coronary stent type/timing and the outcomes of interest were performed using unadjusted logistic regression models.

RESULTS

A total of 473 patients met study criteria, including 294 who did not receive AF and 179 patients who received AF. MACEs occurred in 15 (5.1%) patients who did not receive AF and 1 (0.6%) who received AF (P = .007). In weighted analyses, no significant difference was found in patients who received AF with regard to MACEs (odds ratio [OR] = 0.13, 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.01-1.74, P = .12), thrombotic complications (OR = 1.19, 95% CI, 0.53-2.68, P = .68), or excessive surgical bleeding (OR = 0.13, 95% CI, 0.01-2.23, P = .16) compared to patients who did not receive AF.

CONCLUSIONS

The results of this study are inconclusive whether an association exists between perioperative AF use in patients with coronary artery stents and the outcome of MACEs compared to patients who did not receive perioperative AF therapy. The authors acknowledge that the imprecise CI hinders the ability to definitively determine whether an association exists in the study population. Further large prospective studies, powered to detect differences in MACEs, are needed to assess the safety of perioperative AF in patients with existing coronary artery stents and to clarify the mechanism of perioperative MACEs in this high-risk population.

Consensus Decision-Making for the Management of Antiplatelet Therapy before Non-Cardiac Surgery in Patients Who Underwent Percutaneous Coronary Intervention With Second-Generation Drug-Eluting Stents: A Cohort Study

Background

Although antiplatelet therapy (APT) has been recommended to balance ischemic‐bleeding risks, it has been left to an individualized decision‐making based on physicians' perspectives before non‐cardiac surgery. The study aimed to assess the advantages of a consensus among physicians, surgeons, and anesthesiologists on continuation and regimen of preoperative APT in patients with coronary drug‐eluting stents.

Methods and Results

A total of 3582 adult patients undergoing non‐cardiac surgery after percutaneous coronary intervention with second‐generation stents was retrospectively included from a multicenter cohort. Physicians determined whether APT should be continued or discontinued for a recommended period before non‐cardiac surgery. There were 3103 patients who complied with a consensus decision. Arbitrary APT, not based on a consensus decision, was associated with urgent surgery, high bleeding risk of surgery, female sex, and dual APT at the time of preoperative evaluation. Arbitrary APT independently increased the net clinical adverse event (adjusted odds ratio [OR_adj], 1.98; 95% CI, 1.98–3.11), major adverse cardiac event (OR_adj, 3.11; 95% CI, 1.31–7.34), and major bleeding (OR_adj, 2.34; 95% CI, 1.45–3.76) risks. The association was consistently noted, irrespective of the surgical risks, recommendations, and practice on discontinuation of APT.

Conclusions

Most patients were treated in agreement with a consensus decision about preoperative APT based on a referral system among physicians, surgeons, and anesthesiologists. The risk of perioperative adverse events increased if complying with a consensus decision was failed.

Registration

URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov; Unique identifier: NCT03908463.

Patient Blood Management

Patient blood management is a highly successful and cost-effective concept that improves patient outcome by correction of anemia with hematinic medication and reduction of blood loss perioperatively by meticulous surgical techniques and individualized coagulation management.

Association between intraoperative hypotension and postoperative myocardial injury in patients with prior coronary stents undergoing high-risk surgery: a retrospective study

PURPOSE

We conducted a single-center retrospective study to evaluate the effects of intraoperative hypotension (IOH) on postoperative myocardial injury during major noncardiac surgery in patients with prior coronary stents with preoperatively normal cardiac troponin I levels. Although IOH is assumed to increase the risk of postoperative myocardial injury in patients with prior coronary stents, the level and duration of hazardous low blood pressure have not been clarified.

METHODS

Of 2517 patients with prior coronary stents undergoing noncardiac surgery between January 2010 and March 2017, we analyzed 195 undergoing major surgery (vascular, abdominal, and thoracic surgery) who had a normal preoperative high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I (hs-cTnI) level and were followed up postoperatively within 3 days. Postoperative myocardial injury was defined as a hs-cTnI level greater than the 99th percentile reference value. Primary IOH exposure was defined as a decrease of ≥ 50%, 40%, or 30% from the preinduction mean blood pressure. Additional definition of IOH was absolute mean blood pressure < 70, < 60 or < 50 mmHg. Multivariate logistic regression was used to model the exposure and myocardial injury.

RESULTS

Myocardial injury occurred in 53 (27.2%) cases. The predefined levels of IOH were not significantly associated with postoperative myocardial injury, but intraoperative continuous inotropes/vasopressors use was significantly higher in patients with myocardial injury (P = 0.004). Operation time ≥ 166 min (OR = 2.823, 95% CI 1.184-6.731, P = 0.019) and abdominal vascular surgery (OR = 2.693, 95% CI 1.213-5.976, P = 0.015) were independent risk factors for myocardial injury.

CONCLUSION

Although patients with prior coronary stents with normal hs-cTnI levels did not show association between varying levels of IOH and postoperative myocardial injury after noncardiac surgery, intraoperative need of continuous inotropes/vasopressors was higher in patients with postoperative myocardial injury. Abdominal vascular surgery and surgical time were independent risk factors for myocardial injury after surgery.

Cardiac Risk of Noncardiac Surgery After Percutaneous Coronary Intervention With Second-Generation Drug-Eluting Stents

BACKGROUND

Noncardiac surgery (NCS) following percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with stenting is sometimes associated with major adverse cardiac events (MACEs). Second-generation drug-eluting stents (DES) were developed to decrease the incidence of MACE seen with bare metal and first-generation DES.

METHODS

The medical records of all adult patients who underwent second-generation DES placement between July 29, 2008 and July 28, 2011 followed by NCS between September 22, 2008 and July 1, 2013 were reviewed. All episodes of MACE following surgery were recorded.

RESULTS

A total of 282 patients (74.8% male) were identified who underwent NCS after PCI with second-generation DES. MACE occurred in 15 patients (5.3%), including 11 deaths. The incidence of MACE changed significantly with time from PCI to NCS: 17.1%, 10.0%, 0.0%, and 3.1% for patients undergoing NCS at 0-90, 91-180, 181-365, and ≥366 days, respectively. Compared with those having NCS ≥366 days after PCI, the odds ratio for MACE (95% confidence interval) was 6.4 (1.9 to 21.3) at 0-90 days and 3.4 (0.8 to 15.3) at 91-180 days. Seven days prior to NCS, 146 (52%) patients were on dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT), 106 (38%) were on aspirin, and 30 (11%) did not receive antiplatelet therapy. Excessive surgical bleeding occurred in 19 cases (6.7%). While observed bleeding rates were lowest in those not receiving antiplatelet therapy, there were no statistically significant differences based on the presence or absence of antiplatelet therapy (3% [1/30] for no antiplatelet therapy compared to 6% [6/106] for aspirin monotherapy and 8% [12/146] for DAPT; Fisher exact test: P = .655).

CONCLUSIONS

The incidence of MACE in patients with second-generation DES undergoing NCS was 5.3% and was highest in the first 180 days following DES implantation. The rate of excessive surgical bleeding was 6.7% with the highest observed rate in those on DAPT. However, differences by the presence or absence of antiplatelet therapy were not significant, and future large observational studies will be necessary to further define bleeding risk with continued DAPT.

Outcomes of patients on dual antiplatelet therapy post-coronary stenting following emergency noncardiac surgery

BACKGROUND

The outcomes of patients on dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) post-coronary stenting following emergency noncardiac surgery remain unclear.

METHODS

This retrospective cohort study included patients on DAPT post-coronary stenting who underwent emergency noncardiac surgery within 24 hours of diagnosis from April 2007 to March 2018 where DAPT was discontinued within <5 days for aspirin and 7 days for P2Y₁₂ inhibitors. Our primary outcome was 180-day mortality in these patients. We investigated factors associated with bleeding within 180 days after surgery as our secondary outcome and exploratorily examined factors affecting 180-day mortality.

RESULTS

Of 62,528 patients who underwent any surgery under general anaesthesia during the 11-year study period, 133 patients (0.22% of all and 1.41% of emergency surgical patients) were analysed. Among the eligible patients, 180-day mortality was 9.8% (13/133). Eighteen patients (13.5%) developed bleeding within 180 days after surgery, which was the most common post-operative complication. Restarting antiplatelet agents <2 days post-operatively (OR, 4.51; 95% CI, 1.56-13.0; P = 0.005) and stent implantation at bifurcation lesions before surgery (OR, 3.28; 95% CI, 1.07-10.1; P = 0.04) were associated with post-operative bleeding. Patients on haemodialysis had the worse prognosis (hazard ratio, 5.73; 95% CI, 1.87-17.5; P = 0.002) in terms of 180-day mortality.

CONCLUSION

The 180-day mortality following emergency noncardiac surgery was approximately 10% in patients on DAPT post-coronary stenting. Restarting antiplatelet agents earlier than 2 days post-operatively and coronary stenting at bifurcation lesions were associated with bleeding within 180 days after surgery.

Continuation versus discontinuation of antiplatelet therapy for bleeding and ischaemic events in adults undergoing non-cardiac surgery

BACKGROUND

Antiplatelet agents are recommended for people with myocardial infarction and acute coronary syndromes, transient ischaemic attack or stroke, and for those in whom coronary stents have been inserted. People who take antiplatelet agents are at increased risk of adverse events when undergoing non-cardiac surgery because of these indications. However, taking antiplatelet therapy also introduces risk to the person undergoing surgery because the likelihood of bleeding is increased. Discontinuing antiplatelet therapy before surgery might reduce this risk but subsequently it might make thrombotic problems, such as myocardial infarction, more likely.

OBJECTIVES

To compare the effects of continuation versus discontinuation for at least five days of antiplatelet therapy on the occurrence of bleeding and ischaemic events in adults undergoing non-cardiac surgery under general, spinal or regional anaesthesia.

SEARCH METHODS

We searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL; 2018, Issue 1), MEDLINE (1946 to January 2018), and Embase (1974 to January 2018). We searched clinical trials registers for ongoing studies, and conducted backward and forward citation searching of relevant articles.

SELECTION CRITERIA

We included randomized controlled trials of adults who were taking single or dual antiplatelet therapy, for at least two weeks, and were scheduled for elective non-cardiac surgery. Included participants had at least one cardiac risk factor. We planned to include quasi-randomized studies.We excluded people scheduled for minor surgeries under local anaesthetic or sedation in which bleeding that required transfusion or additional surgery was unlikely. We included studies which compared perioperative continuation of antiplatelet therapy versus discontinuation of antiplatelet therapy or versus substitution of antiplatelet therapy with a placebo for at least five days before surgery.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

Two review authors independently assessed studies for inclusion, extracted data, assessed risk of bias and synthesized findings. Our primary outcomes were: all-cause mortality at longest follow-up (up to six months); all-cause mortality (up to 30 days). Secondary outcomes included: blood loss requiring transfusion of blood products; blood loss requiring further surgical intervention; risk of ischaemic events. We used GRADE to assess the quality of evidence for each outcome MAIN RESULTS: We included five RCTs with 666 randomized adults. We identified three ongoing studies.All study participants were scheduled for elective general surgery (including abdominal, urological, orthopaedic and gynaecological surgery) under general, spinal or regional anaesthesia. Studies compared continuation of single or dual antiplatelet therapy (aspirin or clopidogrel) with discontinuation of therapy for at least five days before surgery.Three studies reported adequate methods of randomization, and two reported methods to conceal allocation. Three studies were placebo-controlled trials and were at low risk of performance bias, and three studies reported adequate methods to blind outcome assessors to group allocation. Attrition was limited in four studies and two studies had reported prospective registration with clinical trial registers and were at low risk of selective outcome reporting bias.We reported mortality at two time points: the longest follow-up reported by study authors up to six months, and time point reported by study authors up to 30 days. Five studies reported mortality up to six months (of which four studies had a longest follow-up at 30 days, and one study at 90 days) and we found that either continuation or discontinuation of antiplatelet therapy may make little or no difference to mortality up to six months (risk ratio (RR) 1.21, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.34 to 4.27; 659 participants; low-certainty evidence); the absolute effect is three more deaths per 1000 with continuation of antiplatelets (ranging from eight fewer to 40 more). Combining the four studies with a longest follow-up at 30 days alone showed the same effect estimate, and we found that either continuation or discontinuation of antiplatelet therapy may make little or no difference to mortality at 30 days after surgery (RR 1.21, 95% CI 0.34 to 4.27; 616 participants; low-certainty evidence); the absolute effect is three more deaths per 1000 with continuation of antiplatelets (ranging from nine fewer to 42 more).We found that either continuation or discontinuation of antiplatelet therapy probably makes little or no difference in incidences of blood loss requiring transfusion (RR 1.37, 95% CI 0.83 to 2.26; 368 participants; absolute effect of 42 more participants per 1000 requiring transfusion in the continuation group, ranging from 19 fewer to 119 more; four studies; moderate-certainty evidence); and may make little or no difference in incidences of blood loss requiring additional surgery (RR 1.54, 95% CI 0.31 to 7.58; 368 participants; absolute effect of six more participants per 1000 requiring additional surgery in the continuation group, ranging from seven fewer to 71 more; four studies; low-certainty evidence). We found that either continuation or discontinuation of antiplatelet therapy may make little or no difference to incidences of ischaemic events (to include peripheral ischaemia, cerebral infarction, and myocardial infarction) within 30 days of surgery (RR 0.67, 95% CI 0.25 to 1.77; 616 participants; absolute effect of 17 fewer participants per 1000 with an ischaemic event in the continuation group, ranging from 39 fewer to 40 more; four studies; low-certainty evidence).We used the GRADE approach to downgrade evidence for all outcomes owing to limited evidence from few studies. We noted a wide confidence in effect estimates for mortality at the end of follow-up and at 30 days, and for blood loss requiring transfusion which suggested imprecision. We noted visual differences in study results for ischaemic events which suggested inconsistency.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

We found low-certainty evidence that either continuation or discontinuation of antiplatelet therapy before non-cardiac surgery may make little or no difference to mortality, bleeding requiring surgical intervention, or ischaemic events. We found moderate-certainty evidence that either continuation or discontinuation of antiplatelet therapy before non-cardiac surgery probably makes little or no difference to bleeding requiring transfusion. Evidence was limited to few studies with few participants, and with few events. The three ongoing studies may alter the conclusions of the review once published and assessed.

Risk of non-cardiac surgery after percutaneous coronary intervention with drug-eluting stents

Elective non-cardiac surgery (NCS) should optimally be delayed one year after implantation of a drug-eluting stent (DES). Dual antiplatelet therapy or at least aspirin is recommended to be continued considering the relative risk of stent thrombosis especially during the 4 weeks after DES implantation. However, these recommendations were supported by insufficient evidence. We investigated predictors for postoperative major adverse cardiovascular and cerebral event (MACCE) in 1582 patients undergoing non-cardiac surgery after DES implantation. 96 patients (6.1%) developed postoperative MACCE. In the propensity score-matched analysis, aspirin maintenance was not associated with MACCE (odds ratio [OR] 0.78, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.48-1.27, P = 0.320) and was associated with increased risk of major bleeding (OR 1.84, 95% CI 1.02-3.32, P = 0.044). When patients who underwent NCS within one month after DES implantation were matched with those who underwent NCS thereafter, the risk of MACCE was higher when surgery was done within 30 days after PCI (OR 2.21, 95% CI 1.05-4.66, P = 0.036). Maintenance of aspirin did not decrease MACCE after NCS in patients with DES and only increased the risk of major bleeding. NCS within one month after DES implantation was associated with higher incidence of MACCE. However, prospective trials are required to validate our results.