Surgery and hemostasis

Blood coagulation exists to halt excessive blood loss. It is paradoxical that surgery and trauma simultaneously represent major risk factors for both hemorrhagic and thrombotic complications. A summary of the available evidence used to guide contemporary approaches to perioperative care will be reviewed.

Although the advent of factor-specific products has safely allowed for intervention on patients with congenital hemostatic defects, the presence of an increasingly complex surgical population (chronic liver disease, traumatic injuries, and requirements for chronic anticoagulation) has renewed concerns about hemorrhagic risks. However, the past three decades of clinical sciences have supported a re-emphasis on the prevention of venous thromboembolism (VTE), a major cause of morbidity and mortality in hospitalized surgical patients. There is now an abundance of data confirming the robust risk:benefit ratio of antithrombotic prophylaxis in the vast majority of surgical patients, regardless of their medical comorbidities.

Perioperative hemorrhage is a natural risk of any surgical intervention and deserves careful evaluation and prompt intervention. However, in order to support ongoing efforts in the prevention of medical errors, the application of evidence-based guidelines for the prophylaxis of VTE in surgical patients must become a standard part of daily practice.