Do You Need to Stop Taking Coumadin Prior to Cataract Surgery?
March 5, 2009
I thought this issue was put to rest already, as I remember an excellent article a few years ago in Ophthalmology that concluded that no benefit was seen from stopping blood thinners. But it seems there is another article in Eye that again proves the point. Internists consistently ask me whether they should stop Coumadin, no matter how many times I tell them there is no need, and anesthesiologists typically warn me prior to starting the case that the patient took aspirin in the morning. Oh well…
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Comments
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I am a retinal surgeon. I never stop anything that affects clotting for several reasons; 1) blood in the eye is benign and though it might cause a rise in IOP, it still benign, 2) with vitrectomy, most bleeding is controlled by elevating the IOP, coagulation, etc.
and 3) patients are usually on “blood thinners” for a life threatening reason, not blurry vision.
your clinical experience is borne out by the evidence- not the worth the risk of playing with the blood thinners.