The impact of perioperative aspirin utilization on postoperative hemorrhagic complications in idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus: a single-center retrospective analysis.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (iNPH) primarily affects older patients. Ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt surgery is a standard treatment. Many iNPH patients have high cardiovascular risks and require aspirin (ASA) therapy to prevent thromboembolic events. Discontinuing ASA increases the risk of these events. This study evaluates the impact of perioperative ASA use on hemorrhagic complications in iNPH patients undergoing VP shunt surgery.

METHODS

This retrospective cohort study included patients who underwent VP shunt surgery for iNPH from January 2020 to September 2024. Patients were divided into two groups based on perioperative ASA use: no ASA (n = 50) and ASA continued (n = 51). Data collected included demographics, surgery details, ASA dosage, and indications for ASA use. Primary outcomes were early and late postoperative hemorrhage incidences. Postoperative follow-up included MRI or CT scans at regular intervals (mean ≈ one year). Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS version 23.0, with Chi-square tests and independent samples t-tests or Mann-Whitney U tests used to analyze differences between groups.

RESULTS

The study cohort had 101 patients with a mean age of 69.5 ± 7.6 years, 41.6% female and 58.4% male. Early postoperative hemorrhage occurred in 5% of patients, including epidural (1), intraparenchymal(3), and intraventricular hematoma(1). Late postoperative hemorrhages occurred in 4% of patients ( 4 patients in the no-ASA group), with two cases each of unilateral and bilateral subdural hematoma. No significant differences in hemorrhagic outcomes were observed between the ASA continuation and non-use groups (p = 0.092). The mean follow-up period was 300 days. One patient died in non-ASA group due to neurodegenerative disease.

CONCLUSION

Perioperative ASA use does not significantly impact the incidence of postoperative hemorrhages in iNPH patients undergoing VP shunt surgery. These findings suggest that ASA can be safely continued without increasing hemorrhagic risks. This is a particularly significant issue for patients with high cardiovascular risk.