Management of people with haemophilia A undergoing surgery while receiving emicizumab prophylaxis: Real-world experience from a large comprehensive treatment centre in the US

Introduction Surgery is frequently required in persons with haemophilia A (PwHA). Emicizumab, a bispecific, humanized monoclonal antibody, bridges activated factor (F) IX and FX. Management of patients undergoing surgery while receiving emicizumab is of clinical interest due to paucity of data. Aim Review real-world experience of PwHA with/without FVIII inhibitors who required surgery while receiving emicizumab prophylaxis. Methods Data regarding peri-operative management, including type of surgery, haemostatic agent use and bleeding complications, were collected for PwHA receiving emicizumab undergoing surgery between 25/10/18 and 31/12/19 at the Indiana Hemophilia and Thrombosis Center. Analyses were exploratory and descriptive. Results Twenty minor and five major surgeries were performed in 17 and five patients, respectively. Overall, 9/20 minor surgeries were planned to occur with emicizumab as the sole haemostatic agent; of these, four required additional coagulation factor (2 due to haematomas following port removals, 1 due to oozing at port removal site, 1 due to bleeding following squamous cell carcinoma removal). Three of the 11 minor surgeries with planned additional coagulation factor resulted in non-major bleeds; all were safely managed with additional coagulation factor. All five major surgeries were planned with additional haemostatic agents; there was 1 bleed in a patient undergoing elbow synovectomy with nerve transposition, likely triggered by physical/occupational therapy. There were no major bleeds, thrombotic events or deaths. Conclusions Additional haemostatic agent use is safe in PwHA undergoing surgery while receiving emicizumab. Additional data are needed to determine the optimal dosing/length of treatment of additional haemostatic agents to lower bleeding risk.