Treatment failure of low molecular weight heparin bridging therapy before a cardiac surgery intervention in a patient with atrial fibrillation.

From time to time, it may be necessary to interrupt oral anticoagulant therapy in preparation for surgical procedures. In high-risk patients or for longer periods, unfractionated or low-molecular-weight heparin bridging treatment has been reported safe. This case focuses attention on treatment failure of low molecular weight heparin bridging therapy in a patient with atrial fibrillation.