[Perioperative handling of anticoagulation]. / Perioperativer Umgang mit Antikoagulation.

A growing number of patients in Germany receive a long-term prophylactic anticoagulation with phenprocoumone or one of the novel direct oral anticoagulants (NOAC), such as dabigatran, rivaroxaban or apixaban. The most common indication for an oral anticoagulant therapy is atrial fibrillation (approximately 75%) where the anticoagulant therapy can reduce the risk for an embolic event, particularly stroke by 60%. Operations carried out during such a therapy can result in major bleeding complications. On the other hand, suspending anticoagulant therapy can lead to an increased risk of thromboembolisms. Thus, the preoperative assessment should address the bleeding risk of the planned operation, the individual risk of thromboembolism, as well as other factors, such as patient age and renal function. If the individual assessment shows a substantial risk of perioperative bleeding when anticoagulant treatment is continued and a substantial risk of thromboembolism if the treatment is suspended, then a perioperative bridging, for example with low molecular weight heparin, is necessary. Perioperative bridging also leads to an increased risk of perioperative bleeding. Thus, undifferentiated bridging for all patients with atrial fibrillation with anticoagulant treatment is not recommended. Instead, the indications for a perioperative bridging should be decided according to individual risk profiles.

[Perioperative handling of immunosuppressive therapy]. / Perioperativer Umgang mit immunsuppressiver Therapie.

Every year 16 million operations are performed in Germany. Many patients have an autoimmune disorder, for example rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis or chronic inflammatory bowel disease, which requires treatment. Immunosuppressants are widely applied. Physicians must make a risk-adapted decision whether the immunosuppressant medication can be continued perioperatively or if certain drugs must be paused and if so, with what risks. The handling of immunosuppressants during the perioperative period is very relevant as many patients, for example with rheumatoid arthritis are in need of a hip or knee replacement or patients with inflammatory bowel disease need an operation due to the chronic illness. The interruption of an immunosuppressant therapy should be discussed in an interdisciplinary board according to the underlying disease, because the continuation of immunosuppressants perioperatively can lead to an increased rate of complications, especially wound healing disorders. If a patient is on a glucocorticoid therapy the following must be considered: during the perioperative period the body has an increased demand for glucocorticoids due to the stress reaction. If glucocorticoids are administered in a dosage of more than 7.5 mg/day equivalent of prednisolone this stress reaction is inhibited. Thus, in these cases a perioperative substitution with hydrocortisone is recommended.

[Perioperative handling of antidiabetic drugs]. / Perioperativer Umgang mit Antidiabetika.

Diabetes mellitus is the most frequent metabolic disorder in the western world with a prevalence of 3% in adults under 65 years of age and 14.3% in adults over 65 years of age. Due to the increasing age of our population, the number of patients taking oral antidiabetic drugs has increased. Thus, operating physicians must make a risk-adapted decision whether the medication can be continued perioperatively or if certain drugs must be paused, and if so, with what risks. Operative interventions can lead to a number of metabolic shifts, which change the normal glucose metabolism. Hyperglycemia in the perioperative period is a risk factor for postoperative sepsis, dysfunction of the endothelium, cerebral ischemia and poor wound healing. Due to perioperative fasting oral antidiabetic medication can lead to severe hypoglycemia if taken during this period. This leads to an increased morbidity and mortality in the perioperative period and extends the duration of stay in the intensive care unit (ICU) as well as the overall hospital stay. Oral antidiabetic medication should be paused on the day of the operation and restarted in line with the gradual postoperative return to solid food. Especially metformin, the most commonly used medication in the treatment of type 2 diabetes, should be paused perioperatively due to the severe side effect of lactate acidosis.

[The use of tumor therapeutics in the perioperative period]. / Perioperativer Umgang mit antitumoralen Medikamenten.

In 2010 Germany had 447,300 new cases of cancer. From 2000 to 2010 the incidence of cancer increased by 21% in men and by 14% in women. The change in the age structure with an aging population is the crucial influencing factor. Various cancer types can now be treated by oral antitumor agents used as a chronic medication. Physicians must decide whether the oral antitumor agents can be continued perioperatively or if certain drugs must be paused and if so, with what risks. Oral antitumor agents are a very heterogeneous group of medication. The use of oral antitumor agents during the perioperative period has not been thoroughly examined, but most often a perioperative interruption is recommended. In general, poor wound healing is a frequent complication of this group of medication. The handling of oral antitumor agents in the perioperative period should be based on an individual decision with consideration of the desired therapy goal as well as the individual prognosis. In general, all oral antitumor agents are chronic medication and are continued until a loss of efficacy or intolerable side effects occur. A potentially curative therapy should be paused for the shortest possible time in order not to jeopardize the remission already achieved. Furthermore, generally accepted recommendations concerning the interval between chemotherapy and a planned operation have not yet been established. A rough rule of thumb could be to plan the operation after the regeneration of the blood count or at the same point in time of the next planned chemotherapy.

[The use of platelet aggregation inhibitors in the perioperative period]. / Perioperativer Umgang mit Thrombozytenaggregationshemmern.

Every year 16 million operations are performed in Germany. Many patients take platelet aggregation inhibitors as a primary or secondary prevention to reduce the risk of cardiovascular events. Especially during the perioperative period, this risk reduction is relevant due to an increased risk for cardiac events (in approximately 6.2% of operations). As a result of a presumed increased risk of bleeding, platelet aggregation inhibitors are often paused perioperatively. Thus, doctors must decide on a risk-adapted basis whether the medication can be continued perioperatively and, if so, with what risks. If acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) treatment is solely used as primary prevention it can be paused during the perioperative period, whereas ASA treatment for secondary prevention should only be paused for operations within narrow confines. When pausing ASA, a sufficient time interval should be maintained before the operation. Furthermore, the ASA withdrawal syndrome with an increased predisposition for clotting is an important phenomenon to be considered. Additionally, the perioperative handling of dual platelet aggregation inhibition needed after coronary stent implantation should be addressed. Due to an increased risk for in-stent thrombosis, dual platelet aggregation inhibition is only reluctantly paused. Emergency surgery must, if not otherwise possible, be carried out even if the dual platelet aggregation inhibition is not paused; however, if the risk for intraoperative bleeding is too high and the risk of an in-stent thrombosis is lower in comparison, P2Y12 inhibitors (e.g. clopidogrel) should be paused and the operation carried out solely with ASA therapy.