Effects of Continued Perioperative Anticoagulation on Cochlear Implant Outcomes.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the impact of perioperative coagulation continuation/interruption on cochlear implantation outcomes.

STUDY

DESIGN

Retrospective case series.

SETTING

Tertiary academic referral center.

PATIENTS: All patients 18 years and older who underwent cochlear implantation between January 2014 and February 2025.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Postoperative complications (hematoma, wound breakdown, infection) as well as operative time and estimated intraoperative blood loss.

RESULTS

101 adult patients (median age: 72 y; 43.6% female) undergoing cochlear implant surgery were on anticoagulation medications, of which 45 (44.6%) continued anticoagulants in the perioperative period. The types of anticoagulants patients used included aspirin (58.4%), direct oral anticoagulants (12.9%), aspirin and clopidogrel (9.9%), clopidogrel only (5.9%), subcutaneous heparin (4%), warfarin (4%), aspirin and warfarin (2%), and other combinations of anticoagulative therapies (3%). There was no association between continuation of anticoagulation and increased operation time ( P =0.59) or increased estimated blood loss ( P =0.45). One patient who suspended anticoagulation before surgery developed wound breakdown, which responded to conservative management. No patients developed complications of wound infection or hematoma.

CONCLUSION

Our findings demonstrate that continued anticoagulation during the perioperative period was not associated with intraoperative complications or bleeding-related postoperative complications in adult patients. This reiterates the findings of prior work examining the safety of perioperative anticoagulation during cochlear implantation and is consistent with related studies examining the safety of anticoagulants during other head and neck surgery procedures. As such, individualized decision-making leading to perioperative continuation of anticoagulation may be indicated, particularly in medically complex patients.