Therapeutic postoperative anticoagulation is a risk factor for wound complications, infection, and revision after...

The purpose of the present study was to examine the relationship between postoperative therapeutic anticoagulation, wound complications, infection, and revision.

Using a national insurance database from 2007 to 2016, patients who underwent shoulder arthroplasty with an indication for postoperative therapeutic anticoagulation in the case of atrial fibrillation or acute postoperative venous thromboembolism were identified. Those with a prescription for a therapeutic anticoagulant within 2 weeks of surgery were identified and compared with controls without postoperative therapeutic anticoagulant prescriptions. Wound complications and postoperative infection at 3 and 6 months, and revision shoulder arthroplasty at 6 months and all time points were then compared in the database using a multivariable logistic regression analysis.

A total of 17,272 patients were included, including 684 patients who received therapeutic anticoagulation and 16,588 controls. Patients receiving therapeutic anticoagulation experienced increased wound complications at 3 months (odds ratio [OR] 3.0, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.0-4.6, P < .0001) and 6 months (OR 2.5, 95% CI 1.7-3.8, P < .0001). Patients receiving therapeutic anticoagulation also experienced increased rates of wound infection at 3 months (OR 1.5, 95% CI 1.1-2.0, P = .007) and 6 months (OR 1.8, 95% CI 1.4-2.3, P < .0001). Finally, patients receiving therapeutic anticoagulation experienced increased rates of revision surgery at 6 months (OR 1.8, 95% CI 1.3-2.5, P = .0003) and within 9 years (OR 1.5, 95% CI 1.1-2.0, P = .007).

Wound complications and revision rates in patients undergoing shoulder arthroplasty who require postoperative therapeutic anticoagulation are significantly elevated compared with controls.