Managing invasive procedures in haemophilia patients with limited resources, extended half-life concentrates or non-replacement therapies in 2022

Authors: Mancuso, ME; Apte, S; Hermans, C

Affiliations: Division of Haematology, Haemostasis and Thrombosis Unit, Saint-Luc University Hospital, Université catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain), Brussels, Belgium

Publication: Haemophilia; 2022; 28. 93–102

Abstract: New treatment possibilities and modalities are now available globally for patients with haemophilia requiring surgery or invasive procedures. The first is the appropriate application of low-dose protocols of clotting factor concentrates (CFC) achieving adequate perioperative haemostasis in resources constraint environments. The increasing availability of CFC through humanitarian aid programs allows more invasive surgeries to be performed for which efficacy and safety data should be more widely collected and reported. Second, extended half-life CFC that are increasingly available in many countries represent valuable alternatives to standard half-life products in surgical patients allowing reduced number of infusions and lower consumption, in particular for extended half-life factor IX. Third, in the era of recently introduced nonfactor prophylaxis, some minor surgical procedures can now be performed without additional haemostatic treatment, others with few low-dose administrations of CFC or bypassing agents. Additional factor VIII/IX or recombinant activated factor VII has proven to be safe and effective in association with emicizumab for major surgeries and it was effectively given at low doses in association with fitusiran (including activated prothrombin complex concentrate). No thrombotic complications have been reported in the surgical setting so far. A multidisciplinary team/facility remains crucial to manage major surgery in patients on prophylaxis with these new agents.