Study: Take Aspirin After Knee Surgery

A new study shows that the best treatment for blood clots after knee surgery might be as simple as taking aspirin.

Taking aspirin to prevent the clots following knee surgery may be safer and more effective than currently recommended treatments that are often riskier and more costly, according to the preliminary results from the study performed at the University of California-San Francisco. Currently, clinical guidelines for preventing blood clots after a total knee replacement do not recommend aspirin, but the study suggests otherwise.

The study team compared data from more than 93,840 patients undergoing knee replacement surgeries at around 300 hospitals. They compared the risk of blood clots, as well as mortality, surgical-site bleeding, and infection in patients who received aspirin versus guideline-approved therapies.

The study showed that the aspirin patients had:

• fewer risk factors for blood clots prior to surgery
• lower odds for clots compared to patients on warfarin, an anticoagulant
• similar odds compared to patients receiving injectable therapies to prevent clots
• no difference in bleeding risks or mortality

Given the modern, less invasive techniques that orthopedic surgeons are using now for total knee replacement, the study said, aspirin should be reconsidered a viable alternative to recommended therapies. Aspirin is a simple, inexpensive, and commonly used drug with few side effects, the study said, so it’s a very attractive alternative.

The study emphasized that orthopedic surgeons should continue to evaluate patients on an individual basis to determine the best post-surgery care.