Interventional treatment of haemorrhoids in anticoagulated patients

Anticoagulants are currently widely used for cardiological reasons, stroke prevention and in other vascular diseases. Colorectal surgeons face patients suffering from haemorrhoids who are put on anticoagulant therapy in their everyday practice. Anticoagulation strategy for patients undergoing interventional treatment of haemorrhoids has not been discussed in detail in the literature so far. Standard management of grade 1-3 haemorrhoids includes rubber band ligation (RBL), sclerotherapy (SCL) and infrared coagulation (IRC) after unsuccessful conservative treatment. The rates of postprocedural bleeding range from 0.9-2.8% after rubber band ligation, 0-2.7% after sclerotherapy and 5% after infrared coagulation. Surgical procedures including dearterialization, haemorrhoidectomy and stapled haemorrhoidopexy are indicated in more advanced degrees as the third line of treatment and are complicated by postoperative bleeding in 1.4-5.9% and 2-7.9% patients, respectively. Haemorrhoidectomy is the best option in grade 4 haemorrhoids and is associated with 6.2-8.4% risk of bleeding. However, closed haemorrhoidectomy, Ligasure technique and/or anal tamponade can reduce this risk. Surgical guidelines recommend continuing acetylsalicylic acid in low bleeding risk procedures, including haemorrhoidal surgery. However, postoperative bleeding after rubber band ligation was more common in the aspirin group. On the other hand, haemorrhage incidence after sclerotherapy did not differ significantly between the group on anticoagulation compared with the group without anticoagulation. Haemorrhoidectomy should be postponed for 6 months in patients receiving dual antiplatelet therapy. According to the guidelines, vitamin K antagonists should be discontinued 5 days before haemorrhoidal surgery. Minimal bleeding risk procedures do not require discontinuation of anticoagulation,but this option seems to be hazardous for patients undertaking rubber band ligation. Sclerotherapy, on the other hand, could not require warfarin discontinuation if the international normalized ratio (INR) is within therapeutic range. Novel oral anticoagulants (NOACs) should be discontinued 1 day before low bleeding risk operations, including haemorrhoidectomy and resumed 1 day after the procedure. In conclusion, all anticoagulants should be ceased prior to operation except for aspirin. There are not clear recommendations on the perioperative protocols for continuation or discontinuation of blood thinners in patients undergoing minimally invasive procedures.