An Evaluation of the Duration of Oral Anticoagulant Use Among Patients Undergoing Endovascular Treatment of Nonthrombotic Iliac Vein Lesions

Abstract

This study aimed to compare clinical outcomes associated with the duration of postoperative direct oral anticoagulant (DOACs) therapy in patients with nonthrombotic iliac vein lesions. We retrospectively analyzed 176 consecutive patients who underwent stenting for nonthrombotic iliac vein lesions between March 2018 and December 2021. In total, 99 and 77 patients were discharged on a 3-month and >3-month regimen of DOAC therapy, respectively. The primary cumulative endpoint was a composite of thrombotic complications, bleeding complications, primary patency, primary-assisted patency, and secondary patency within 1year. Patients undergoing 3-month and >3-month DOAC therapy were similar in age, sex, lesion site, symptoms, and average stent diameter and length. Upon multivariate analysis, the primary cumulative endpoint did not differ between the 2 groups (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.18; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.42-3.30; P=0.76). Moreover, the primary patency at 1year did not differ between the groups (HR: 1.50; 95% CI: 0.14-16.54; P=0.74). Furthermore, there were no discernible differences in the secondary endpoints of bleeding complications (HR: 0.66; 95% CI: 0.22-1.96; P=0.45) or thrombotic complications (HR: 1.79; 95% CI: 0.55-5.80; P=0.34) between the groups. The 3-month regimen of DOAC therapy showed a similar risk of postoperative thrombosis and bleeding when compared to longer DOAC therapy durations over the course of 1year following endovascular intervention. This could be a preferred option for patients with a higher estimated bleeding risk after venous stenting.