Continuing versus discontinuing antiplatelet drugs, vasodilators, and/or cerebral ameliorators on perioperative total blood loss in total knee arthroplasty without pneumatic tourniquet.

Background: Although studies have supported the utility of perioperative continuation of antiplatelet drugs, vasodilators, and cerebral ameliorators in most procedures, no study compared total volume of blood loss after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) in patients continuing and discontinuing these drugs.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 266 consecutive patients undergoing TKA, and included 67 patients (25.2%) taking antiplatelet drugs, vasodilators, or cerebral ameliorators in this study. All TKAs were performed without a pneumatic tourniquet. The primary outcome was perioperative total blood loss calculated from blood volume and change in hemoglobin. As subgroup analysis, we compared perioperative total blood loss in patients taking antiplatelet drugs.

Results: There was no significant difference between the continuing group ( n  = 38) and discontinuing group ( n  = 29) in terms of the perioperative total blood loss (1025 ± 364 vs 1151 ± 327 mL, respectively; mean difference 126 mL; 95% confidence interval -45 to 298 mL; P  = .15). No major bleeding or thrombotic events occurred in either group until postoperative 3-month follow-up. In patients taking antiplatelet drugs ( n  = 51), no significant difference was observed in the total blood loss between the continuing group ( n  = 30) and discontinuing group ( n  = 21) (1056 ± 287 vs 1151 ± 305 mL, respectively; mean difference 95 mL; 95% confidence interval -75 to 264 mL; P  = .27).

Conclusions: No significant differences in terms of perioperative total blood loss were observed between patients continuing and discontinuing study drugs. Continuing these drugs may be preferable in the perioperative period of TKA.