To Örebro University

BACKGROUND: Patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD) requiring lower extremity revascularization (LER) are at high risk of adverse limb and cardiovascular events. VOYAGER PAD demonstrated that rivaroxaban significantly reduced this risk with an overall favorable net benefit in patients undergoing surgical revascularization; however, the efficacy and safety in those treated by surgical bypass including stratified by bypass conduit (venous or prosthetic) has not been described.

METHODS: In the VOYAGER PAD trial, patients with PAD after surgical and endovascular infrainguinal LER were randomized to rivaroxaban 2.5 mg twice daily or placebo and followed for a median of 28 months. The primary endpoint was a composite of acute limb ischemia (ALI), major amputation of vascular etiology, myocardial infarction, ischemic stroke, or cardiovascular death. The principal safety outcome was Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) major bleeding. Index procedure details including conduit type (venous or prosthetic) were collected at baseline.

RESULTS: Among 6564 randomized, 2185 (33%) underwent surgical LER. Of these, surgical bypass was performed in 1448 (66%), using prosthetic conduit in 773 (53%) and venous in 646 (45%). Adjusting for baseline differences and anatomic factors, the risk for unplanned limb revascularization in the placebo arm was 2.5-fold higher for those receiving prosthetic versus venous conduits (adjHR 2.53, 95% CI 1.65-3.90; p<0.001) while the risk for ALI was 3 times greater (adjHR 3.07, 95% CI 1.84-5.11; p<0.001). Rivaroxaban reduced the primary outcome in patients treated with bypass surgery (HR 0.78, 95% CI 0.62-0.98) with consistent benefits in those receiving venous (HR 0.66, 95% CI 0.49-0.96) and prosthetic (HR 0.87, 95% CI 0.66-1.15) conduits (pinteraction 0.254). In the overall trial, TIMI major bleeding was increased with rivaroxaban; however, numbers in those treated with bypass surgery were low (5 with rivaroxaban, 9 with placebo, HR 0.55, 95% CI 0.18-1.65) and not powered to show statistical significance.

CONCLUSIONS: Surgical bypass with prosthetic conduit is associated with significantly higher rates of major adverse limb events relative to venous conduits even after adjusting for patient and anatomic characteristics. Adding rivaroxaban 2.5 mg twice daily to aspirin or dual antiplatelet therapy significantly reduces this risk, increases bleeding, but has a favorable benefit risk in patients treated with bypass surgery and regardless of conduit type. Rivaroxaban should be considered after lower extremity bypass for symptomatic PAD to reduce ischemic complications of the heart, limb, and brain.