Warfarin use before vitreoretinal surgery may lead to postop bleeding complications

LONDON — Anticoagulation agents seem to have no effect on the number of significant perioperative hemorrhages, but warfarin was associated with bleeding complications, according to a study.

Niro Narendran and Tom Williamson, both with St. Thomas’ Hospital here, studied 541 patients undergoing vitreoretinal surgery. Sixty patients in the study were taking aspirin as an anticoagulant and seven were taking warfarin. Eleven cases of choroidal hemorrhage were reported, of which one was with a warfarin user. Of the 325 retinal detachment repairs, 21 had preoperative vitreous hemorrhage. Two of those patients were on aspirin and two on warfarin. Of the 66 vitrectomies performed for diabetic vitreous hemorrhages, nine re-bled postoperatively. One of those nine patients was on warfarin, which was statistically significant.

The study is published in the February issue of Acta Ophthalmologica Scandinavica.