Effects of thienopyridine class antiplatelets on bleeding outcomes following robot-assisted radical prostatectomy

This study aimed to assess the effects of thienopyridine-class antiplatelet agents (including ticlopidine, clopidogrel, and prasugrel) on bleeding complications in patients who underwent robot-assisted radical prostatectomy. This cohort study used a database for robot-assisted radical prostatectomy at 23 tertiary centers nationwide between 2011 and 2022. Patients who received thienopyridines (thienopyridine group) were compared with those who received aspirin monotherapy (aspirin group). The primary outcome was the incidence of bleeding complications. High-grade complications were defined as Clavien–Dindo grade III or higher. The risks of these outcomes were evaluated using inverse probability of treatment weighted regression models. The study results demonstrated that thienopyridine therapy was associated with a higher risk of overall bleeding complications (OR: 3.62, 95%CI 1.54–8.49). The increased risks of the thienopyridine group were detected for low-grade bleeding complications (OR: 3.20, 95%CI 1.23–8.30) but not for high-grade bleeding complications (OR: 5.23, 95%CI 0.78–34.9). The increased risk of bleeding complications was not observed when thienopyridine was discontinued (OR: 2.52, 95%CI 0.83–7.70); however, it became apparent when it was continued perioperatively (OR: 4.35, 95%CI 1.14–16.61). In conclusion, thienopyridine increased the incidence of bleeding complications, particularly low-grade bleeding complications, following robot-assisted radical prostatectomy. These bleeding effects emerged when thienopyridine was continued perioperatively.