Risk of thromboembolism and bleeding after general surgery in patients with atrial fibrillation.

We provide insight into the risk of perioperative thromboembolism and bleeding in patients who have atrial fibrillation, use anticoagulants, and undergo a surgical procedure. Ninety-four patients underwent 121 noncardiac operations during a mean follow-up of 29 months. There was a 3.6-fold increased risk for all bleeding complications within 1 month after surgery compared with the control period (95% confidence interval 1.05 to 12.0). No thromboembolic event occurred in the first month after surgery compared with 11 events in the remaining period (0.4% per month).

Treatment of venous thromboembolism with vitamin K antagonists: patients' health state valuations and treatment preferences.

Determining the optimal duration of vitamin K antagonist (VKA) therapy for patients with venous thromboembolism (VTE) requires a weighting of the benefits and risks of treatment. The objectives of our study were to investigate patient variability in health state valuations associated with VKA therapy and treatment preferences, and to investigate the extent to which valuations and treatment preferences are associated with prior experience with these health states and other patient characteristics. Valuations of outcomes after VTE scaled from 0 (tantamount to death) to 1 (tantamount to perfect health) were elicited from 53 patients who had experienced VTE, 23 patients who had experienced major bleeding during treatment, and 48 patients with the post-thrombotic syndrome. In addition, patients' treatment preferences were evaluated using treatment trade-off questions. Median health state valuations ranged from 0.33 for 'non-fatal haemorrhagic stroke' to 0.96 for 'no VKA treatment'. Variability between patients was substantial. Patients' treatment preferences also varied: 25% of patients chose cessation of treatment, regardless of the probability of recurrent VTE presented, whereas 23% of patients were never willing to choose cessation of treatment. Differences in valuations and treatment preferences were not associated with type of event experienced. Due to the substantial and unpredictable variability in valuations and treatment preferences, recommendations regarding treatment duration should be tailored to patients' specific values and concerns.

The incidence of recurrent venous thromboembolism after treatment with vitamin K antagonists in relation to time since first event: a meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: After a first episode of venous thromboembolism, patients are treated with vitamin K (phytonadione) antagonists. There are indications that the risk of recurrence after treatment with vitamin K antagonists decreases relative to the time since the first event. The aim of the present meta-analysis is to describe the risk of recurrent venous thromboembolism after treatment with vitamin K antagonist in relation to the time since the index event. METHODS: Computerized searches in MEDLINE and EMBASE databases; reference checks of pertinent articles; personal communication with colleagues to find randomized clinical trials and cohort studies in which patients with venous thromboembolism were treated with vitamin K antagonists. Per treatment arm, 2 reviewers independently extracted data on the number of recurrent events and the duration of follow-up per time period of 3 months. RESULTS: A total of 135 potentially eligible studies were identified. Of these, 18 studies could be included, comprising 25 treatment arms that could be analyzed. Treatment arms were divided into 3 groups based on treatment duration (short, medium, and long). For all 3 groups, the monthly incidence immediately after discontinuation of treatment was high and declined rapidly thereafter. The monthly incidence after 9 months seemed independent of the treatment duration. CONCLUSIONS: There is a diminishing risk of recurrent venous thromboembolism over time and a stabilization after 9 months independent of the duration of the initial treatment with vitamin K antagonists. These findings have important implications for decision making about the optimal duration of treatment with vitamin K antagonists.