Selective Arterial Thrombolysis with Urokinase in Popliteal Arterial Occlusion Developed after Total Hip Replacement Arthroplasty

Rhee, Seung Koo; Ha, Kee Yong; Lee, Nam Gee; Park, Jong Bum

Abstract

A 60 year old patient with a sudden thromboembolic occlusion of ipsilateral popliteal artery on four days after the total hip replacement (THR) were treated with high-dose urokinase by direct intraarterial selective infusion. The cause of arterial occlusion after THR was not clear, but it was thought to be caused by spontaneous thrornboembolism in an elderly patient accompanied with diffuse arteriosclerosis, and this multifocal arteriosclerosis was caused not to perform the vein graft immediately. The initial infusion therapy with 4,000 IU/min for 2 hours of urokinase was failed but the second trial with same doses of urokinase in another 2 hours was succeed with complete clot lysis. Then 500,000 IU/24 hours of urokinase was infused again, and total 1,500,000 IU/28 hours was used in this patient. But massive internal bleeding from the operation site, hip joint, for more than 1,400 co was leaked because of bleeding tendency induced by extensive use of urokinase within short duration, and minor toe amputations should be performed on 2 weeks after thrombolysis because of distal migration of small thromboembolic particles. It was suggested that the peripheral arterial occlusion resulting from thromboembolism after joint replacement, especially in an elderly patient with diffuse arteriosclerosis, could develop, and it could be successfully treated with an initially high-dose urokinase regimen if it is detected earlier, rather than vein graft or amputation.