Anticoagulation Post Laparoscopic Splenectomy

Summary

Splenic/portal vein thrombosis is an alarming complication of splenectomy. Retrospective studies in the literature have shown the incidence of symptomatic splenic/portal vein thrombosis to be between 0.7% (Rattner et al., 1993) to 8% (Winslow et al., 2002). This is a single-center, prospective, randomized study in subjects undergoing laparoscopic splenectomy. All participants will receive one dose of pre-operative low molecular weight heparin (Lovenox®) subcutaneously, 2 hours prior to surgery. Participants will be randomized pre-operatively to treatment or control group however the treatment allocation will not be revealed until the surgery is complete. Postoperatively, those assigned to the treatment group will receive 40 mg of Lovenox® subcutaneously once a day for 21 days; those in the control group will not. Patients with severe renal impairment will receive an adjusted dose of Lovenox® (30 mg subcutaneous dose daily). All patients will have a baseline abdominal Doppler ultrasound preoperatively and a second one done at 14 to 28 days post surgery to monitor for the presence of portal vein and/or splenic vein thrombosis. They will also have their lipase and liver function tests checked to correlate with the imaging findings.

Timeline

Start

2006-10

Primary completion

2009-04

Completion

2009-05

Publications

• Background Bergqvist D, Agnelli G, Cohen AT, Eldor A, Nilsson PE, Le Moigne-Amrani A, Dietrich-Neto F; ENOXACAN II Investigators. Duration of prophylaxis against venous thromboembolism with enoxaparin after surgery for cancer. N Engl J Med. 2002 Mar 28;346(13):975-80. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa012385.
• Background Bergqvist D. Low molecular weight heparin for the prevention of venous thromboembolism after abdominal surgery. Br J Surg. 2004 Aug;91(8):965-74. doi: 10.1002/bjs.4639.
• Background Chaffanjon PC, Brichon PY, Ranchoup Y, Gressin R, Sotto JJ. Portal vein thrombosis following splenectomy for hematologic disease: prospective study with Doppler color flow imaging. World J Surg. 1998 Oct;22(10):1082-6. doi: 10.1007/s002689900521.
• Background Efficacy and safety of enoxaparin versus unfractionated heparin for prevention of deep vein thrombosis in elective cancer surgery: a double-blind randomized multicentre trial with venographic assessment. ENOXACAN Study Group. Br J Surg. 1997 Aug;84(8):1099-103.
• Background Fujita F, Lyass S, Otsuka K, Giordano L, Rosenbaum DL, Khalili TM, Phillips EH. Portal vein thrombosis following splenectomy: identification of risk factors. Am Surg. 2003 Nov;69(11):951-6.
• Background Geerts WH, Pineo GF, Heit JA, Bergqvist D, Lassen MR, Colwell CW, Ray JG. Prevention of venous thromboembolism: the Seventh ACCP Conference on Antithrombotic and Thrombolytic Therapy. Chest. 2004 Sep;126(3 Suppl):338S-400S. doi: 10.1378/chest.126.3_suppl.338S.
• Background Mismetti P, Laporte S, Darmon JY, Buchmuller A, Decousus H. Meta-analysis of low molecular weight heparin in the prevention of venous thromboembolism in general surgery. Br J Surg. 2001 Jul;88(7):913-30. doi: 10.1046/j.0007-1323.2001.01800.x.
• Background Petit P, Bret PM, Atri M, Hreno A, Casola G, Gianfelice D. Splenic vein thrombosis after splenectomy: frequency and role of imaging. Radiology. 1994 Jan;190(1):65-8. doi: 10.1148/radiology.190.1.8259430.
• Background van't Riet M, Burger JW, van Muiswinkel JM, Kazemier G, Schipperus MR, Bonjer HJ. Diagnosis and treatment of portal vein thrombosis following splenectomy. Br J Surg. 2000 Sep;87(9):1229-33. doi: 10.1046/j.1365-2168.2000.01514.x.

Drugs

Indications