Prevention of VTE Following Total Hip and Knee Arthroplasty in Hemophilia Patients

The often debilitating condition of hemophilic arthropathy is treated with elective total joint arthroplasty. Little has been published addressing the role of thromboembolic prophylaxis in the hemophilic patient population following total hip arthroplasty (THA) and total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Although the American College of Chest Physicians and the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons have set guidelines for thromboembolic prophylaxis in the general population, no such standard of care is in place for hemophilic patients. While the risk of thrombosis in hemophilic patients following THA and TKA is thought to be lower, cases have been reported of pulmonary embolism and deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in hemophilic patients.