Non-vitamin K oral anticoagulants at the time of cardiac rhythm device surgery: A systematic review and meta-analysis

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#administration-oral #anticoagulants #atrial-fibrillation #hematoma #humans

Non-vitamin K oral anticoagulants at the time of cardiac rhythm device surgery: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Creta et al., 2020 | Thromb Res | Meta Analysis

Citation

Creta Antonio, Finlay Malcolm, ... Providência Rui. Non-vitamin K oral anticoagulants at the time of cardiac rhythm device surgery: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Thromb Res. 2020-Apr;188:90-96. doi:10.1016/j.thromres.2020.02.007

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Use of non-vitamin K oral anticoagulants (NOACs) has rapidly increased worldwide. We aimed to systematically assess the available evidence regarding the safety and efficacy of NOACs in patients undergoing cardiac implantable electronic device (CIED) surgery. METHODS: We performed a systematic literature search. Eligible randomised controlled trials and cohort studies were included. The primary outcome measures were clinically significant device-pocket haematoma and thromboembolic events. RESULTS: A total of 12 studies were included, equating to 2120 patients. The separate pooling of rate of events showed a low incidence of clinically significant device-pocket haematoma, although numerically higher in patients on continued (1.5%; CI95%0.8-3.0) versus interrupted NOAC (0.9%; CI95%0.5-1.7). The rate of any device-pocket haematoma was numerically higher in the continued versus interrupted NOAC group (5.4%; CI95%3.8-7.7 versus 2.4%; CI95%1.8-3.3). The incidence of thromboembolic events (0.4%; CI95%0.2-0.8) was low and comparable. From a meta-analysis of 3 studies (equating to 773 subjects) allowing for a comparison of continued versus interrupted NOAC, we found no significant difference between the 2 strategies in terms of clinically significant pocket haematoma (RR1.14; CI95%0.43-3.06, p = 0.79), thromboembolic complications (RR1.03; CI95%0.06-16.37, p = 0.98), and any pocket haematoma (RR1.19; CI95%0.65-2.20, p = 0.57). CONCLUSION: Use of NOACs at the time of CIEDs surgery appears to be safe, and either strategy of peri-procedure continuation or interruption might be reasonable. However, continuation of NOAC seems to be associated with a numerically higher rate of bleeding complications. Certainty of the evidence is low, and further studies are required to confirm these findings.

Key Findings

A total of 12 studies were included, equating to 2120 patients. The separate pooling of rate of events showed a low incidence of clinically significant device-pocket haematoma, although numerically higher in patients on continued (1.5%; CI95%0.8-3.0) versus interrupted NOAC (0.9%; CI95%0.5-1.7). The rate of any device-pocket haematoma was numerically higher in the continued versus interrupted NOAC group (5.4%; CI95%3.8-7.7 versus 2.4%; CI95%1.8-3.3). The incidence of thromboembolic events (0.4%;

Outcomes Measured

  • Requires manual extraction

Population

Field Value
Population See abstract
Sample Size 2120
Age Range See abstract
Condition See abstract

MeSH Terms

  • Administration, Oral
  • Anticoagulants
  • Atrial Fibrillation
  • Hematoma
  • Humans
  • Thromboembolism
  • Vitamin K

Evidence Classification

  • Level: Meta Analysis
  • Publication Types: Journal Article, Meta-Analysis, Systematic Review
  • Vertical: vitamin-k

Provenance

Source extracted via PubMed E-utilities API on 2026-04-09