Perioperative anticoagulation management in antiphospholipid syndrome

Abstract

Patients with antiphospholipid syndrome are at increased risk of developing thrombotic and hemorrhagic complications after cardiac surgery, and may have abnormal coagulation tests and develop thrombocytopenia after invasive procedures, which can complicate the perioperative management of anticoagulant therapy. We describe a patient with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension and antiphospholipid syndrome, who presented with prolonged activated partial thromboplastin and activated clotting times, and developed thrombocytopenia after the catheterization workup. We performed pulmonary endarterectomy and successfully managed anticoagulation by restricting heparin use at the time of surgery and monitoring the heparin effect by measuring heparin concentrations during cardiopulmonary bypass.