[Coronary artery stents and neurosurgery: choosing the lesser of two evils].

Patients with coronary artery stents are extremely dependent on antiplatelet therapy whose discontinuation may lead to stent thrombosis with major cardiac adverse events. In neurosurgery chronic antiplatelet medications uptake is supposed to be the major factor of postoperative intracranial hematoma associated with poor outcome and high mortality. Thus planning neurosurgical procedure in patients with coronary stents needs a thorough evaluation of all risk factors pondering possible profit and danger. We discuss current recommendations on perioperative management for high risk bleeding surgery in high risk thrombosis patients emphasizing the role of individual approach and multidisciplinary collaboration.