Coagulation and fibrinolytic parameters in patients undergoing total hip replacement: influence of the anaesthesia technique

Abstract

Eighty patients undergoing total hip replacement (THR) were randomly allocated to three groups. Group I (n = 29) received general anaesthesia, Group II (n = 29) epidural anaesthesia and Group III (n = 22) the same epidural as Group II and the same general anaesthesia as Group I but with a lower isoflurane concentration. Prothrombin time (PT), activated thromboplastin time (APTT), fibrinogen (FG), plasminogen (PG), antithrombin III (AT III), protein G (Proc C), .alpha.-2-antiplasmin (.alpha.2AP), Factor VIII coagulating activity (F VIII:C), von Willebrand factor antigen (vWF:Ag), von Willebrand ristocerin cofactor (vWF:Rcof), tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) as antigen and activity were measured before induction (A), at the end of surgery (B), on the first postoperative morning (C) and 7 days postoperatively (D). The most relevant finding was that AT III was equally depressed immediately after surgery in all groups, but returned to normal significant faster in the epidural group (mean values at C: 96.2% in Group I, 104.1% in Group II, 92.7% in Group III). The faster return to normal of AT III after epidural anaesthesia could be one of the mechanisms responsible for the beneficial effect of this technique on the prevention of thromboembolic complications.