Non-cardiac surgery and antiplatelet therapy following coronary artery stenting

摘要

To the editor: We read with great interest the work by Luckie et al, recently published Online First cn the Heart website. There is an emerging problem of patients who have recently undergone coronary artery stent placement who then require non-cardiac surgical interventions. This occurs in about 5% of cases within 12 months of the stent placement. Coronary artery stenting is followed by a period of double anti-aggre-gant therapy which, in the case of drug-eluting stents, should last for at least 12 months. This double antiplatelet therapy with aspirin and clopidogrel, and its management in the postoperative period, becomes a problem in a patient who is found to have a disorder necessitating surgery that cannot be postponed.