Practical management of new oral anticoagulants after total hip or total knee arthroplasty

Within the past 5 years, the oral anticoagulants rivaroxaban, apixaban, and dabigatran etexilate have been approved for the prevention of venous thromboembolism in adult patients after elective hip or knee arthroplasty in the European Union and many other countries worldwide. These agents differ from the previously available anticoagulants because they selectively and directly inhibit a single factor in the coagulation cascade—rivaroxaban and apixaban inhibit Factor Xa, and dabigatran inhibits Factor IIa (thrombin)—potentially enhancing the predictability of their anticoagulant effect. Currently, although some guidelines provide recommendations for the use of rivaroxaban, dabigatran etexilate, and apixaban in clinical practice, there are still questions regarding the optimal practical management of patients receiving these agents. This article briefly reviews the practical limitations associated with conventional anticoagulants, discusses potential issues with the practical management of the newer oral anticoagulants, and provides clinical experience from a single institution where rivaroxaban and dabigatran etexilate have been used within their approved indications.