Rivaroxaban: a review of its use for the prevention of venous thromboembolism after total hip or knee replacement surgery.

Rivaroxaban (Xarelto), an oral oxazolidinone-based anticoagulant, is a potent, selective direct inhibitor of factor Xa that is used in the prevention of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in adult patients after total hip replacement (THR) or total knee replacement (TKR) surgery. In four large, clinical trials, oral rivaroxaban was more effective than subcutaneous enoxaparin in preventing postoperative VTE in patients undergoing THR or TKR surgery. Notably, the superior efficacy of rivaroxaban was achieved with a low but not significant increase in the incidence of major bleeding episodes. In addition, preliminary pharmacoeconomic analyses in several countries indicate that rivaroxaban is a cost-effective treatment strategy versus enoxaparin. Although the position of rivaroxaban relative to other therapies remains to be fully determined, it is an effective emerging option for the prevention of VTE following THR and TKR.