Low Molecular Weight Heparin vs Unfractionated Heparin at Cardiac Surgery

Because the impairment of platelet function may cause excess peri-operative bleeding, pre-operative aspirin discontinuation and heparin bridging are common at cardiac surgery. We aimed to evaluate the impact of a low-molecular-weight-heparin (LMWH), enoxaparin, and unfractionated heparin (UFH) on coagulation parameters and peri-operative bleeding in patients undergoing elective coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) surgery after aspirin discontinuation. The specific hypothesis of this study was that a 12 h interval is sufficient not to cause excess peri-operative bleeding, and is therefore an optimal compromise between antithrombotic efficacy and haemorrhagic safety.