Elevated Factor VIII Levels Associated with Acute Graft Occlusion and Arterial and Venous Thrombosis After Off Pump CABG

Factor VIII is a common acute phase reactant and elevated levels confer an increased risk of thrombosis. Such thrombotic events have been documented in the literature, though to a limited extent. We present the case of a 54-year-old man presenting with a non-Q-wave myocardial infarction who was found to have triple vessel disease and subsequently underwent a 4-vessel coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). Postoperatively, he was found to have multiple occluded vessels, deep vein thromboses, and a cerebrovascular accident (CVA). A hypercoagulability work-up revealed significantly elevated levels of factor VIII at 377% normal, which likely contributed to these thrombotic events. Further exploration is warranted to elucidate causal mechanisms of these thrombotic events, particularly of multiple graft occlusions, and to guide clinical decision making with regards to anticoagulation and stent management.