Perioperative Management of Warfarin (Coumadin)
In North America, there are over one million people with mechanical prosthetic heart valves, chronic atrial fibrillation, or a history of venous thromboembolism, receiving long-term oral anticoagulation therapy with warfarin (Coumadin).
Perioperative management of a chronically anticoagulated patient is challenging. The medical team should operate between the fine line of hemorrhagic versus thromboembolic complications.
