Antithrombotic Therapy

Guideline title Perioperative Management of Antithrombotic Therapy: An American College of Chest Physicians Clinical Practice Guideline

Release date November 2022

Developer and funding source American College of Chest Physicians

Target population Patients taking oral anticoagulation or antiplatelet therapy who are undergoing an elective surgery or procedure

Selected recommendations

For patients requiring aspirin therapy who are undergoing an elective noncardiac surgery, continuing aspirin through the surgery is suggested (conditional recommendation; moderate certainty of evidence [COE]).

For patients with atrial fibrillation taking vitamin K antagonists (VKAs) who are undergoing an elective surgery or procedure with low to moderate risk of thromboembolism, temporary use of therapeutic heparin doses during interruption of VKA (heparin bridging) is not recommended (strong recommendation; moderate COE).

For patients with a mechanical heart valve with low to moderate risk of thromboembolism who require VKA interruption for an elective surgery or procedure, heparin bridging is not suggested (conditional recommendation; very low COE).

For patients receiving a direct oral anticoagulant (DOAC) who will be undergoing an elective surgery or procedure, discontinuing DOAC therapy is suggested with the timing dependent on the specific DOAC and the bleeding risk of the procedure (conditional recommendation; very low COE).