Overview
Total hip replacement (THR) is associated with extensive tissue injury and considerable blood loss that can be complicated by hyperfibrinolysis with an increased need for blood transfusion. THR in patients with cancer involving the hip joint, can reduce pain and improve or maintain the function and quality of life. However, these patients have an increased likelihood of haemostatic abnormalities, such as thrombosis or extensive blood loss. Rotational thromboelastometry is a point-of-care viscoelastic assay that can provide a measure of coagulation disorders in the above settings, and this is still under review. The objective of this prospective cohort study is to quantitate the changes in clot formation dynamics following THR with a subgroup analysis of patients with cancer.
Eligibility
Inclusion Criteria:
- Adult patients undergoing primary elective total hip replacement
Exclusion Criteria:
- Patients unable to consent to trial
- Active deep and superficial vein thrombosis
- Coagulopathy in initial coagulation screen tests
- Platelet count below 100 thousand
- Patients on antithrombotic medications (except prophylactic low molecular weight heparins and acetylsalicylic acid up to 75 mg per day)
- Preoperative haemoglobin < 10 g/dl
- Female patients who are pregnant or nursing