Early surgery is feasible in patients with hip fractures who are on clopidogrel therapy

Objective: Timing of surgery in hip fracture patients using antiplatelet agents is a controversial issue. Clopidogrel is an antiplatelet drug widely used in the treatment of many diseases. In this study, we aimed to investigate the outcomes of early surgery in hip fracture patients using clopidogrel. Methods: Elderly patients with femoral neck fractures who underwent open surgery between 2009 and 2014 were evaluated. Two hundred and eleven patients were included in the study. Patients were separated into 3 groups. Group 1 was constituted of patients using clopidogrel who had been operated on within 48 h after admission (n=74), Group 2 was constituted of patients using clopidogrel who had been operated on after the fifth day of admission (n=55), and Group 3 was constituted of patients not using clopidogrel who had been operated on within 48 h after admission (n=83). Length of hospital stay, amount of blood transfusion, rate of complication, and mortality rate were assessed for comparison of groups. Results: Age, sex, preoperative hemoglobin values, and ASA scores were not different between the groups. Amount of blood transfusions was higher in Group 1 (p=0.023). Duration of hospital stay was longer in Group 2 (p 0.01), as was complication rate (25.4%) (p 0.01). Mortality within 30 days and within the first 3 months post-surgery was significantly higher in Group 2 (p=0.031, p 0.01; respectively). Conclusion: Surgery should not be postponed in hip fracture patients using clopidogrel.