Effects of Preoperative Continuous Use of Aspirin and Plavix in Off-pump Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery / 대한흉부외과학회지

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The benefits of preoperative use of aspirin and plavix in coronary patients have been well documented. Due to their bleeding tendency, there have been many discussions about when to stop the antiplatelet agent before operation. We evaluated the effects of preoperative continuous use of aspirin and plavix in OPCAB patients. MATERIAL AND METHOD: 123 patients underwent OPCAB from March, 2004 to Feb., 2005. We divided them into two groups; those who had continuous administration of aspirin and plavix during the preoperative period (n= 45, 36.6%) and those who discontinued them at least one day before the operation (n=78, 63.4%). We then compared the platelet count, hemoglobin/hematocrit level, graft patency, postoperative bleeding and related complications, and operation time between the two groups. The patients were also divided into long-term users (> or =1 month) and short-term users (<1 month), with the aforementioned factors equally compared. RESULT: There was no statistical difference between the two groups regarding postoperative bleeding, related complications, graft patency, operation time and mortality. Continuous users showed significantly low platelet levels on immediate post operation (p=0.02), postoperative day (POD) #1 (p=0.002) and POD #2 (p=0.021), respectively. But there was no difference on POD #7. Long-term users showed statistically significant difference in pre- and postoperative platelet count, but none in postoperative bleeding and related complications. CONCLUSION: Continuous use of aspirin and plavix did not increase postoperative bleeding or related complications. Also graft patency and mortality had no statistical differences in continuous users. We think that there is no need to stop aspirin and plavix before OPCAB.