Management and Outcomes of Patients on Preoperative Plavix (Clopidogrel) Undergoing General Thoracic Surgery

[Perioperative Outcomes of Patients Undergoing Pulmonary Resection for Lung Cancer after Coronary Stenting]

背景与目的

肺癌患者合并有冠心病是很常见的一种情况，部分患者既往植入冠脉支架并接受抗血小板治疗。对于带有冠脉支架需要行肺切除手术的肺癌患者，围手术期是否停用抗血小板药物仍然存在争议。本研究通过回顾我院的数据来明确这部分特殊人群的围手术期结局。

方法

回顾性分析了2013年1月-2019年9月冠脉支架术后在北京大学第一医院胸外科行肺切除手术的肺癌患者的临床数据。所有患者术前暂停口服抗血小板药物至少5 d。主要研究终点是院内的心血管并发症和死亡。

结果

本研究共纳入111例患者。支架放置和肺癌手术间隔的时间在1个月-3个月、3个月-12个月、超过12个月的患者分别为6.3%、13.5%和80.2%。亚肺叶切除、肺叶切除、联合肺叶切除、全肺切除以及肺叶袖式切除的患者分别为10.8%、71.2%、9.0%、2.7%和6.3%。总的心血管并发症发生率为11.6%，包括不稳定心绞痛（n=1, 0.9%）、低血压（n=1, 0.9%）、充血性心力衰竭（n=2, 1.8%）和新发心房纤颤（n=10, 9.0%）。本组病例无围手术期死亡，无主要不良心血管事件（major adverse cardiac events, MACE）。

结论

术前暂停口服抗血小板药物是安全的，围手术期未发生MACE和死亡。

Early reoperation performed for the management of complications in patients undergoing general thoracic surgical procedures

OBJECTIVE

To detect the rate and predisposing factors for the development of postoperative complications requiring re-operation for their control in the immediate postoperative period.

METHODS

During the time period 2009-2012, 719 patients (male: 71.62%, mean age: 54±19 years) who underwent a wide range of general thoracic surgery procedures, were retrospectively collected. Data of patients who underwent early re-operation for the management of postoperative complications were assessed for identification of the responsible causative factors.

RESULTS

Overall, 33/719 patients (4.6%) underwent early re-operation to control postoperative complications. Early re-operation was obviated by the need to control bleeding or to drain clotted hemothoraces in nine cases (27.3%), to manage a prolonged air leak in six cases (18.2%), to drain a post-thoracotomy empyema in five cases (15.2%), to revise the thoracotomy incision or an ischemic musculocutaneous flap in five cases (15.2%), to manage a bronchopleural fistula in four cases (12.1%), to manage persistent atelectasis of the remaining lung in two cases (6.1%), to cease a chyle leak in one case (3%) and to plicate the right hemidiaphragm in another one case (3%). The factors responsible for the development of complications requiring reopening of the chest for their management were technical in 17 cases (51.5%), initial surgery for lung or pleural infections in 9 (27.3%), the recent antiplatelet drug administration in 4 (12.1%) and advanced lung emphysema in 3 (9.1%). Mortality of re-operations was 6.1% (2/33) and it was associated with the need to proceed with completion pneumonectomy in the two cases with persistent atelectasis of the remaining lung and permanent parenchymal damage. The majority of complications requiring reoperation were observed after lung parenchyma resection (17 out of the 228 procedures/7.4%) or pleurectomy (7 out of the 106 procedures/6.5%). Reoperations after video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) were uncommon (2 out of the 99 procedures/2%).

CONCLUSIONS

The rate of complications requiring reoperation after general thoracic surgery procedures is low and it is mainly related to technical issues from the initial surgery, the recent administration of antiplatelet drugs, the presence of advanced emphysema and surgery for infectious diseases. The need to proceed with completion pneumonectomy has serious risk for fatal outcome.

Perioperative management of antiplatelet therapy

Worldwide, cardiovascular events represent the major cause of morbidity and mortality. A key role in the pathogenesis of these events is played by platelets. Interventional procedures, with placement of coronary and vascular stents, often represent the preferred therapeutic strategy. Antiplatelet medications are considered first-line therapy in preventing cardiovascular thrombotic events. A wide array of antiplatelet agents is available, each with different pharmacological properties. When patients on antiplatelet agents present for surgery, the perioperative team must design an optimal strategy to manage antiplatelet medications. Each patient is stratified according to risk of developing a cardiovascular thrombotic event and inherent risk of surgical bleeding. After risk stratification analysis, various therapeutic pathways include continuing or discontinuing all antiplatelet agents or maintaining one antiplatelet agent and discontinuing the other. This review focuses on the pharmacological and pharmacokinetic properties of both older and novel antiplatelet drugs, and reviews current literature and guidelines addressing options for perioperative antiplatelet management.