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This page/column contains information which may be of interest to consumers. The information is based on articles which appear in Australian Prescriber. As Australian Prescriber is written for health professionals, you should discuss any issues raised by this page/column with your doctor or pharmacist. They will be able to give a more detailed answer to your questions by reading the main article.
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Australian Prescriber Vol. 23 No. 1 2000
The perioperative management of anticoagulation
Some patients have an increased risk of forming blood clots, e.g. people with artificial heart valves. They are often asked to take warfarin to stop the blood clotting.
If someone taking warfarin has to have surgery there is a risk of increased bleeding during the operation. To prevent this happening the warfarin is stopped before surgery. Sometimes it has to be replaced with heparin. This also stops the blood clotting, but can be continued until nearer the time of surgery because its effects wear off quickly.
Patients may not need to stop their warfarin if they are only having minor surgery but they should check first. Every case is different so patients taking warfarin must tell their doctor or dentist about their treatment whenever an operation is planned.
