• Reg Anesth Pain Med · May 2024

    Uncomplicated epidural removal in a patient on a therapeutic heparin infusion: a case report.

    • Lizbeth Hu, Janet Adegboye, Angela Tung Chang, Marie Hanna, and Kellie Jaremko.
    • Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Johns Hopkins Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
    • Reg Anesth Pain Med. 2024 May 30.

    BackgroundUnanticipated postoperative thrombotic complications can occur in complex patients who receive preoperative epidurals. Therefore, it is imperative that we consider the risks and benefits of epidural management in the setting of therapeutic anticoagulation. We present a case of epidural catheter removal on a heparin infusion, due to the extreme risk of holding anticoagulation for any duration.Case ReportA woman with hilar cholangiocarcinoma presented after uncomplicated hepatectomy, bile duct resection and hepaticojejunostomy, with a thoracic epidural for analgesia. On postoperative day 1, she developed a total portal vein thrombosis, requiring emergent open thrombectomy, transhepatic stenting and high-dose heparin infusion while the epidural was indwelling. The patient was deemed to have a profound risk of re-thrombosis if heparin were paused. Therefore, a multidisciplinary discussion between hepatobiliary surgery, critical care, neurosurgery, haematology, acute pain service and the patient's family ensued regarding epidural management. Options included catheter-directed thrombolytics to her stent while holding systemic anticoagulation, sterilely leaving the epidural catheter in place indefinitely, injecting prothrombotic agent into the epidural prior to removal, or removing the catheter without holding anticoagulation. Due to the risk of re-thrombosis in the portal vein and liver infarction, the heparin infusion was decreased to achieve the lowest therapeutic anti-Xa level, and the epidural was removed. The patient was continuously monitored in the intensive care unit without any adverse events.ConclusionA multidisciplinary discussion is paramount to weigh the risk of epidural haematoma if a catheter is removed on therapeutic anticoagulation against catastrophic thrombosis if anticoagulation is paused.© American Society of Regional Anesthesia & Pain Medicine 2024. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.

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