Background:

Recombinant activated factor VIIa (rFVIIa, NovoSeven®) is an FDA-approved medication for managing bleeding in patients with hemophilia A or B with inhibitors and for those with congenital factor VII deficiency. Its use has expanded off-label in the perioperative context to manage unexpected bleeding complications. However, there is still a gap in real-world data regarding institutional practices, dosing, and outcomes associated with rFVIIa.

Methods:

With IRB approval, we identified patients who received rFVIIa in the perioperative period between 2020 to 2024 at Mayo Clinic. A detailed chart review was conducted to gather demographic data, comorbid conditions, bleeding disorders, timing, and dosing of perioperative rFVIIa (pre-, intra-, and postoperative), along with postoperative outcomes. We focused on thrombotic and bleeding events, hospital readmissions, and return to the operating room (OR). Descriptive statistics were used for patient characteristics, rFVIIa dosing patterns, and postoperative complications. Type of surgical interventions were stratified based on UCLA perioperative risk stratifications, with a risk score of 5 equating to very high risk surgery and a score of 1 equating to very low risk surgery.

Results:

Of the 55 patients included, the median age at surgery was 42.3 years (SD 27.4), and 69% were male. The majority were non-Hispanic white (91%). The most common bleeding diatheses were Factor VII deficiency (54.6%), Factor VIII inhibitor (12.7%), and Glanzmann thrombasthenia (7.3%). Less frequent conditions included Hemophilia A (3.6%) and Hemophilia A with inhibitors (3.6%). Among patients with Factor VII deficiency, mild deficiency accounted for 65.9% of cases, followed by severe (19.5%) and moderate (14.6%) forms. Adjunctive medications to control bleeding included emicizumab, FEIBA, and rituximab. Mean estimated blood loss was 136 mL (SD 211 mL), and mean length of stay was 5.7 days (SD 6.4). Surgical risk strongly correlated with perioperative outcomes: blood loss increased from 19 mL in very low-risk surgeries to 352 mL in very high-risk surgeries, while mean length of stay increased from 4.5 days (risk 1) to 19 days (risk 4) and 11 days (risk 5).

Actual rFVIIa dosing ranged from 7.2 to 7211.5 mcg/kg per dose, with a median of 67.4 mcg/kg and a mean of 852.8 mcg/kg, reflecting variability in clinical practice. When stratified by surgical risk, the highest median doses were observed in very low- and low-risk surgeries (84.4 and 86.8 mcg/kg, respectively), while very high-risk surgeries had the lowest median dose (30.0 mcg/kg).

In the postoperative period, thrombotic events did not occur in the first 90 days but were documented in 1.8% of patients between 90 and 365 days and in 1.8% after 365 days. Bleeding complications were frequent and demonstrated predominance in the immediate post-op period. Within the first 30 days after surgery, 18.2% of patients experienced bleeding complications, with 3.6% classified as major and 14.5% classified as minor, based on ISTH criteria. Between 30 and 90 days, bleeding complications occurred in 9.1% of patients (3.6% major and 5.5% minor), between 90 and 365 days, bleeding was observed in 10.9% of patients, all of which were minor, and beyond one year, bleeding complications were documented in 23.6% of patients, with 3.6% major and 21.8% minor. Readmissions were also common and followed a similar time distribution. In the first 30 days, 7.3% of patients had readmissions related to the prior surgery, and 3.6% had unrelated readmissions. Between 30 and 90 days, 3.6% of readmissions were related and 3.6% were unrelated. Between 90 and 365 days, 3.6% were related and 14.5% were unrelated to the initial procedure. Returns to the OR occurred in 1.8% of patients between 30 and 90 days and in 1.8% between 90 and 365 days.

Conclusions:

In conclusion, perioperative rFVIIa was most frequently used for Factor VII deficiency but was also administered to patients with Factor VIII inhibitor and Glanzmann's thrombasthenia, as well as several rare congenital and acquired bleeding disorders. Postoperative thrombotic events were rare, while ISTH-defined bleeding complications and readmissions were common. Most bleeding complications were minor, but their frequency was highest in the early postoperative period and again beyond one year. High-risk surgeries were associated with greater blood loss, prolonged hospitalization, and a higher burden of postoperative complications.

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2025
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