Is it Safe to Continue Clopidogrel in Elective Hip and Knee Arthroplasty?

No evidence-based guidelines exist for the perioperative use of clopidogrel in elective hip and knee arthroplasty patients. This study compares the preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative outcomes of total hip and knee arthroplasty in patients maintained on clopidogrel and with patients whose clopidogrel was held before surgery.

We retrospectively identified 158 patients taking clopidogrel before undergoing elective total hip or knee arthroplasty. Patients were stratified for having clopidogrel held or continued, based on the interval between latest dose and date of surgery. The primary end points were receipt of transfusion and readmission within 90 days of surgery. Secondary end points were the incidence of complications such as bleeding, infection, re-operation, and major cardiac or neurologic events such as myocardial infarction or stroke during the 90-day postoperative period.

The two cohorts had similar demographics. Patients who continued clopidogrel were more likely to receive a blood transfusion postoperatively (9.1% vs 0%, P = .005), but there was no difference in wound drainage (P = .65), wound infection (P = .24), readmission (P = .74), major complications (P = .64), length of stay (P = .70), or mortality (P = .42). Patients who continued clopidogrel before surgery were more likely to have received general anesthesia (P < .001) per anesthesia protocol, however, three such patients did receive spinal anesthesia without any complications. With cementless implants, blood loss was not different between clopidogrel groups.

Patients undergoing elective total hip and knee arthroplasty may be safely maintained on clopidogrel without an increased risk of wound complications, infections, length of stay, readmission, reoperation, major medical complications, or mortality. Further prospective research is warranted to confirm the effects of continuing clopidogrel in patients undergoing elective hip and knee arthroplasty.