DALLAS—Medical Compression Systems, Inc. (Concord, Massachusetts), announced new data that further validates the use of their ActiveCare deep vein thrombosis prophylaxis compression system following total joint replacement procedures. The study results demonstrate that a risk-stratification protocol using a synchronized mobile compression and an aspirin regimen is associated with low rates of venous thromboembolism, lower rates of adverse events, and reduced overall costs compared with a group treated with aggressive anticoagulant agents. Data were presented at the 25th Annual Meeting of the American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons.
“We’ve established through previous studies that prophylactic treatment with mobile compression and aspirin following total joint replacement can reduce the occurrence of venous thromboembolism and decrease adverse events, infections, and bleeding complications in patients undergoing total joint replacement,” said Richard Iorio, MD, primary study author and Professor of Orthopedic Surgery at NYU School of Medicine in New York.
Richard Iorio, MD
The study was designed to determine if utilizing a risk-based venous thromboembolism chemoprophylaxis protocol would improve prevention of deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism, quality metrics, and bleeding-related complications in patients undergoing total joint arthroplasty.
The retrospective review evaluated 2,611 patients that were divided into 2 cohorts. Cohort 1 included 1,203 patients who were previously treated with standard aggressive chemoprophylaxis agents (Enoxaparin, Rivaroxaban, Warfarin). Cohort 2 consisted of a risk-stratified group of patients either undergoing treatment with prophylactic synchronized mobile compression and aspirin (n=843) or aggressive prophylaxis (n=565).
Results demonstrated that patients in the risk-stratified protocol had a lower incidence of venous thromboembolism than the group treated with anticoagulation. Patients in this group also experienced fewer adverse events, readmissions, infections, and bleeding-related complications. Hospital costs were significantly lower in the synchronized mobile compression and aspirin subgroup of cohort 2 and overall costs were lower in the risk-stratified cohort, though they did not reach statistical significance.
“These results are significant in that they represent a large study population of more than 2,600 patients and are the first to demonstrate significant reductions in hospital costs, which support the hypothesis that a risk stratification protocol can advance patient-specific therapy and enhance the delivery of value-based care,” Dr. Iorio said.