European journal of vascular and endovascular surgery : the official journal of the European Society for Vascular Surgery
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Eur J Vasc Endovasc Surg · Apr 1997
Changes in platelet count, coagulation and fibrinogen associated with elective repair of asymptomatic abdominal aortic aneurysm and aortic reconstruction for occlusive disease.
Mortality and morbidity following aortic surgery, particularly repair of ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA), is frequently associated with the development of coagulopathy. ⋯ Patients undergoing elective repair of AAA demonstrate similar, albeit less dramatic, changes in platelet count to those we have previously reported in patients undergoing repair of ruptured AAA. Aortic clamping leads to platelet sequestration and thrombocytopenia in the early postoperative period. Later, patients develop hyperfibrinogenaemia and thrombocytosis which may persist for several weeks. Similar changes are seen in patients undergoing aortic surgery for occlusive disease. These changes may represent a hypercoagulable state that predisposes these patients to thrombotic complications.