Total hip replacement surgery increases stroke risk: Study
An international study involving the University of Southampton has shown people who undergo a total hip replacement are at a higher risk of a stroke in the first two weeks after surgery.
|Last Updated: Nov 23, 2012, 05:11 PM IST|Source: Bureau
London: An international study involving the University of Southampton has shown people who undergo a total hip replacement are at a higher risk of a stroke in the first two weeks after surgery.
The cohort study, published in the American Heart Association journal Stroke, assessed about 66,000 people in the Netherlands who had total hip replacements and compared them to people who shared their age and sex, but who did not have the procedure.
Results showed that patients were five times as likely to have an ischaemic stroke within the first two weeks after a total hip replacement and were four times as likely to have a haemorrhagic stroke after the same procedure.
After the first two weeks, the risk dropped steadily but remained elevated during at least the first six weeks for ischaemic stroke and the first 12 weeks for haemorrhagic stroke.
A haemorrhagic stroke is caused by bleeding in the brain and an ischemic stroke is caused by artery blockage.
However another aspect of the study, which was the largest one of its kind, demonstrated that patients who took antiplatelet drugs, such as aspirin, prior to surgery lowered their risk of ischaemic stroke in the first six weeks by 70%. There was no change for haemorrhagic stroke.
Professor Cyrus Cooper Director of the Medical Research Council Lifecourse Epidemiology Unit, University of Southampton, was lead Rheumatologist of the study and co-author of the study’s paper.
He comments: “This research has demonstrated that there is a high risk of stroke to patients soon after having a total hip replacement and suggests that the use of soluble aspirin might be beneficial in reducing this risk. Normally we would have reservations about people taking aspirin everyday but our results suggest aspirin is a benefit and worthwhile to give to the patient before the surgery. The data is of huge clinical importance and shows the benefits of large cohort epidemiology studies.
“The number of hip replacement procedures will rise as we live longer: on average, the rate of hipreplacement has already increased by over 25% between 2000 and 2009. These results will hopefully help healthcare professionals to provide improved services and help people who have hipreplacements manage the risk of stroke after the procedure.”
There are a number of factors that contribute to the risk of stroke after surgery: the blood to the brain can be dilated during surgery, blood clots can also form in blood vessels in the brain and there can be disorder to heart rhythms which increases risk of stroke. Additionally the effects of the anaesthetic can contribute to the risk of stroke.
In England and Wales there are approximately 160,000 total hip and knee replacement procedures performed each year.
ANI
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.