Safe Knee Surgery | ScienceGate

SummaryStudy objective. To determine whether levels of thrombin-antithrombin III (TAT) in plasma, taken two weeks pre-operatively, predict the development of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in patients undergoing major hip or knee surgery.Design. Prospective cohort.Setting. Tertiary-care referral centre, university-affiliated hospital.Patients. Ninety eight consecutive patients undergoing elective hip or knee surgery.Intervention. All eligible consenting patients were seen in a preoperative clinic two weeks prior to surgery and had blood taken for measurement of plasma TAT level. After surgery, they received a combination of unfractionated heparin 5000 Units 12-hourly subcutaneously, and antiembolism stockings (TEDS), as prophylaxis against DVT. Contrast venography was performed prior to discharge, and according to the results, patients were classified as having proximal (popliteal and/or more proximal) DVT (n = 12), calf DVT (n = 7) or no DVT (n = 79).Measurements and Results. The mean TAT level was significantly higher in patients who developed DVT (5.7 μg/l) than in those who did not (4.1 μg/l), p = 0.035. Using cut-points of 3.5 and 5.5 μg/l for the TAT level, patients could be categorized as high, intermediate, and low risk for the development of DVT. The proportion of patients with TAT levels of ≥3.5μg/l who developed calf or proximal DVT was significantly higher than the proportion of patients with TAT levels of <3.5 μg/l who developed calf or proximal DVT (p = 0.02). The proportion of patients with TAT levels >5.5 μg/l who developed proximal DVT was significantly higher than the proportion of patients with TAT levels of ≤5.5 μg/l who developed proximal DVT (p = 0.03).Conclusions. This study demonstrates that pre-operative TAT levels correlate with the risk of developing DVT after major orthopedic surgery. Further studies are needed to determine the reason(s) for this observation and whether rational recommendations about prophylaxis and screening for DVT can be made based on the results of a pre-operative TAT level.

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Impact of Preoperative Opioid Use on 2-Year Patient-Reported Outcomes in Knee Surgery Patients

The Journal of Knee Surgery ◽

10.1055/s-0040-1716358 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Ali Aneizi ◽

Patrick M. J. Sajak ◽

Aymen Alqazzaz ◽

Tristan Weir ◽

Cameran I. Burt ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Physical Function ◽

Patient Reported Outcomes ◽

Knee Surgery ◽

The Body ◽

Pain Interference ◽

Opioid Use ◽

Opioid Prescription ◽

Social Satisfaction ◽

Patient Reported ◽

Met Expectations

AbstractThe objectives of this study are to assess perioperative opioid use in patients undergoing knee surgery and to examine the relationship between preoperative opioid use and 2-year postoperative patient-reported outcomes (PROs). We hypothesized that preoperative opioid use and, more specifically, higher quantities of preoperative opioid use would be associated with worse PROs in knee surgery patients. We studied 192 patients undergoing knee surgery at a single urban institution. Patients completed multiple PRO measures preoperatively and 2-year postoperatively, including six patient-reported outcomes measurement information system (PROMIS) domains; the International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) questionnaire, numeric pain scale (NPS) scores for the operative knee and the rest of the body, Marx's knee activity rating scale, Tegner's activity scale, International Physical Activity Questionnaire, as well as measures of met expectations, overall improvement, and overall satisfaction. Total morphine equivalents (TMEs) were calculated from a regional prescription monitoring program. Eighty patients (41.7%) filled an opioid prescription preoperatively, and refill TMEs were significantly higher in this subpopulation. Opioid use was associated with unemployment, government insurance, smoking, depression, history of prior surgery, higher body mass index, greater comorbidities, and lower treatment expectations. Preoperative opioid use was associated with significantly worse 2-year scores on most PROs, including PROMIS physical function, pain interference, fatigue, social satisfaction, IKDC, NPS for the knee and rest of the body, and Marx's and Tegner's scales. There was a significant dose-dependent association between greater preoperative TMEs and worse scores for PROMIS physical function, pain interference, fatigue, social satisfaction, NPS body, and Marx's and Tegner's scales. Multivariable analysis confirmed that any preoperative opioid use, but not quantity of TMEs, was an independent predictor of worse 2-year scores for function, activity, and knee pain. Preoperative opioid use and TMEs were neither independent predictors of met expectations, satisfaction, patient-perceived improvement, nor improvement on any PROs. Our findings demonstrate that preoperative opioid use is associated with clinically relevant worse patient-reported knee function and pain after knee surgery.

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