Perioperative Management of Antiplatelet and Anticoagulation Therapy in Vascular Surgery

Abstract

Treatment of patients taking anticoagulant therapy (ACT) and antiplatelet therapy (APT) is a daily challenge for doctors of all specialities, and a special problem is the adequate care of these patients in the immediate perioperative period during vascular surgical procedures. This paper presents the current findings and recommendations on the perioperative use of ACT and APT and considerations of therapeutic modalities in frequent clinical cases of vascular patients. An overview of the most commonly used anticoagulant and antiplatelet drugs in clinical practice is also presented. Vascular surgical patients represent a population of patients in whom platelet coagulation and aggregation mechanism are dysregulated in many cases. There is still no broad consensus and unequivocal evidence that can direct the physician towards the right modality of therapy. The final decision rests with the physician, who should, based on the individual assessment of each patient, determine the risk and thus determine the modality of anticoagulant and antiplatelet therapy.