Direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) use for prolonged venous thromboembolism prophylaxis following surgery for gynaecological malignancies in Australia and New Zealand – A clinician survey

Background Current international guidelines recommend 28 days of enoxaparin as venous thromboembolism (VTE) prophylaxis after surgery for gynaecologic cancer. Direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) have been investigated as an alternative to enoxaparin for post‐operative VTE prophylaxis. High‐quality evidence to demonstrate safety and efficacy is lacking. Aims We aim to investigate the current practice regarding VTE prophylaxis among gynaecological oncologists in Australia and New Zealand following laparotomy for gynaecological malignancy, in particular the use of DOACs for VTE prophylaxis. Materials and Methods Sixty‐seven practising gynaecologic oncologists (GO) were identified through Royal Australia and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists database and emailed online surveys that asked about VTE prophylaxis practice and views of DOACs in this setting. Data were then collected through Survey Monkey and evaluated. Results The majority (77.1%) routinely prescribed 28 days of enoxaparin following laparotomy for gynaecological malignancies. In clinical circumstance such as laparoscopy for gynaecological malignancies and surgery for vulva malignancies, there was variation in thromboprophylaxis practices. No GO reported routine use of DOACs in any clinical circumstance. There were 56% of GOs who used a DOAC in their practice at some point. Barriers to routine use of DOACs in current practice included insufficient evidence (68%), issue with cost (40.4%) and concerns about safety (29.7%). Conclusions Enoxaparin prescribed for 28 days remains the current clinical practice in preventing VTE following laparotomy for gynaecological malignancy. The main barrier to routine DOAC use as post‐operative thromboprophylaxis is a lack of evidence which reflects the need for a larger prospective study.