Thrombelastographic Patterns following Abdominal Aortic Surgery

Postoperative changes in thrombelastographic patterns were studied in thirty patients undergoing elective abdominal aortic bypass surgery. Native whole blood thrombelastography was performed preoperatively and on days 1, 2, and 3 postoperatively. The thrombelastographic changes included a decrease in r on day one (P < 0.0001), with concurrent increases in alpha (P < 0.0001) and MA (P < 0.001). On days 2 and 3 there were further increases in MA (P < 0.0001). These changes indicate enhanced procoagulant activity and progressive increases in maximum clot strength. The results confirm that hypercoagulability occurs in whole blood following abdominal aortic bypass surgery. Further studies are warranted to determine whether modification of postoperative hypercoagulability reduces the incidence of thrombotic complications in this group of patients.