Perioperative cardiovascular complications rate and activity of coagulation and fibrinolysis among patients undergoing vascular surgery for peripheral artery disease and abdominal aortic aneurysm.

Objectives: To compare preoperative coagulation and fibrinolysis activity and incidence of perioperative complications between patients undergoing vascular procedures for peripheral artery disease and abdominal aortic aneurysm.

Methods: This is a substudy of a prospective observational cohort study (VISION; NCT00512109) in which we recruited patients aged ≥45 years, undergoing surgery for peripheral artery disease and abdominal aortic aneurysm. Blood samples were obtained 24 h preoperatively to measure platelet count, concentrations of coagulation coagulation (fibrinogen, factor VIII, von Willebrand factor:Ristocetin cofactor, antithrombin III), fibrinolysis (dimer D, plasmin-antiplasmin complexes, tissue plasminogen activator) markers and level of soluble CD40 ligand. Incidence of myocardial infarction, stroke, and death (composite endpoint) was assessed in 30-day follow-up.

Results: The study group included 131 patients at the mean age of 68.3 years among whom reason for surgery was peripheral artery disease in 77 patients (58.8%) and abdominal aortic aneurysm in 54 patients (41.2%). Peripheral artery disease group was characterized by higher platelet count (250.5 versus 209.5 (×10/µl),  = 0.001), concentrations of fibrinogen (5.4 versus 4.1 (g/l),  < 0.001), factor VIII (176.9 versus 141.9 (%),  < 0.001), von Willebrand factor:Ristocetin cofactor (188.9 versus 152.3 (%),  = 0.009), and soluble CD40 ligand (9016.0 versus 7936.6 (pg/ml),  = 0.005). The dimer D level was higher (808.0 versus 2590.5 (ng/ml),  < 0.001) in the abdominal aortic aneurysm group. Incidence of major cardiovascular events (death, myocardial infarction, stroke) within 30 days from surgery did not differ between the groups (39.0% versus 29.6%,  = 0.27).

Conclusions: The study suggests higher activation of coagulation and relatively lower fibrinolytic activity in peripheral artery disease group compared to patients undergoing surgery for abdominal aortic aneurysm without a significant difference in cardiovascular outcomes.