Background: Controversies still exist whether to continue or withdraw aspirin (ASA) perioperatively. This study was performed to determine whether patients on preoperative antiplatelet therapy (APT) benefit from continuing ASA in terms of thrombotic and bleeding risk prevention.
Methods: Among 307 consecutive patients who were on APT preoperatively for the secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease and who underwent elective major abdominal malignancy surgery, 148 patients had all the preoperative APT withdrawn and the remaining 159 patients continued only ASA.