Surgical implications of antithrombin III deficiency.

Antithrombin III is a potent coagulant inhibitor in plasma. Congenital deficiency of antithrombin III may predispose to thrombotic events and may complicate surgical management. We describe a patient with congenital antithrombin III deficiency who developed superior mesenteric vein thrombosis after the cessation of warfarin therapy which resulted in venous gangrene of the small intestine.