Managing Anticoagulation During Surgery: What You Need to Know
Published: Oct 29, 2023
Balancing anticoagulation during surgery is tricky. It's about preventing clots without causing too much bleeding.
Contents
Understanding Thromboembolism and Bleeding Risks
When anticoagulation is stopped for surgery, the risk of clots increases, but continuing it might mean more bleeding. Doctors need to weigh these risks carefully to avoid serious complications. The decision often depends on the type of surgery and the patient's health history, such as heart conditions or recent clotting events.
What Are Thromboembolic Risks?
Thromboembolic risk is how likely you are to develop blood clots. Factors like atrial fibrillation, recent strokes, or heart valve issues increase this risk. For example, atrial fibrillation can lead to strokes if not managed properly, so careful planning is needed when surgery is involved.
Bleeding Risks Explained
Bleeding risk varies with the surgery type and patient health. High-risk procedures like heart surgery require stopping anticoagulants, while low-risk ones like dental work might not. Other factors, such as age and kidney function, also play a role in deciding whether to interrupt anticoagulation.
Frequently Asked Questions
It's a condition where blood clots form and travel through blood vessels.
Stopping them reduces bleeding risk during surgery.
Yes, for low-risk procedures, they might not need to be stopped.
Surgery type, age, and kidney function can increase risk.
Key Takeaways
Balancing anticoagulation during surgery requires careful evaluation of both thromboembolic and bleeding risks.
Talk to Doctronic to understand how anticoagulation affects your upcoming surgery.Related Articles
References
Douketis JD, Spyropoulos AC, Murad MH, et al. Perioperative Management of Antithrombotic Therapy: An American College of Chest Physicians Clinical Practice Guideline. Chest 2022; 162:e207.
Healey JS, Eikelboom J, Douketis J, et al. Periprocedural bleeding and thromboembolic events with dabigatran compared with warfarin: results from the Randomized Evaluation of Long-Term Anticoagulation Therapy (RE-LY) randomized trial. Circulation 2012; 126:343.
Always discuss health information with your healthcare provider.