Longer Operative Time and the Use of Anticoagulants Are Associated With Increased Blood Loss in Elderly Patients Undergoing Arthroscopic Rotator Cuff Repair.

Purpose: To study the effects of rotator cuff tear size, operation time, and the use of anticoagulant on blood loss in elderly patients undergoing arthroscopic rotator cuff surgery.

Methods: Patients aged older than 65 years who underwent arthroscopic rotator cuff repair with subacromial decompression at our hospital from January 2015 to December 2021 were identified. We measured hemoglobin levels preoperatively, postoperatively, and 7 days after surgery. First, subjects were divided according to the operation time (group I, <90 minutes; group II, <120 minutes; group III <150 minutes; and group IV, >150 minutes). Second, we classified the subjects by the size of the rotator cuff tear (group A, <3 cm; group B, <5 cm; and group C, >5 cm). Lastly, we categorized the subjects into 2 groups according to the use of anticoagulant medication.

Results: A total of 566 patients were included. The mean hemoglobin (Hgb) levels were 13.8 ± 1.4 g/dL preoperatively, 13.2 ± 1.4 g/dL postoperatively, and 12.8 ± 1.3 g/dL 7 days after surgery, and the differences among them were statistically significant ( < .001). The Hgb level changes 7 days after surgery showed a significant decrease in the group with a longer operation time, and the Hgb loss increased from group 1 to group 4 ( < .001). They did not show any difference in the Hgb levels among the groups according to the size of a cuff tear preoperatively, postoperatively, and 7 days after surgery. The subjects with anticoagulant use showed more decrease in Hgb levels between immediately after the surgery and 7 days after the surgery ( = .031). Still, both groups did not show a statistical difference in the Hgb level 7 days after surgery ( = .115).

Conclusions: In this study, blood loss after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair in elderly patients was greater than expected. Bleeding increased in elderly patients who had longer surgical times or were taking anticoagulant medications after surgery. Tear size was not associated with a decrease in Hgb levels.

Level Of Evidence: Level III, retrospective comparative study.