Anaesthesia in patients with drug-eluting stents.
OBJECTIVE
The management of patients with recent coronary artery stents presenting for noncardiac surgery has become a major topic of interest and concern for all perioperative caregivers. This review will update recent reports and particularly new guidelines as well as recommendations.


RESULTS
Based on the available literature all experts recommend avoiding premature discontinuation of antiplatelet drug therapy if possible except for a few surgical procedures. Drug-eluting stents obviously carry more risks than bare-metal stents.


CONCLUSIONS
Anaesthesiologists may understand the specific problem of drug-eluting stents, the recent debate among cardiologists and the implications for the perioperative scenario.
Metzler
Helfried
H
Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria. helfried.metzler@meduni-graz.at
Huber
Kurt
K
Kozek-Langenecker
Sibylle
S
D000758:Anesthesia / Q000379:methods*; D015906:Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary; D054855:Drug-Eluting Stents; D006801:Humans; D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic
D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors