title: Successful liver transplantation with continued dual antiplatelet therapy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Liver transplantation in patients with dual antiplatelet therapy is considered high-risk procedure due to possible bleeding complications. However, withdrawal of antiplatelet therapy can lead to major adverse cardiac events such as stent thrombosis and even fatal myocardial infarction.
  
  
  METHODS
  We report on a 61-year-old male patient with nutritive toxic liver cirrhosis who underwent liver transplantation at our hospital in March 2010. Following two strokes he received secondary prophylaxis with aspirin and clopidogrel, which was continued at time of liver transplantation. The transplantation was performed successfully without withdrawal of the antiplatelet therapy. No cardiac event and no major bleeding complication occurred.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This is, to our knowledge, the first report of a liver transplantation under dual antiplatelet therapy with aspirin and clopidogrel. It shows that even major procedures such as liver transplantation, with its associated high risk of surgical bleeding, can be safely performed with an appropriate risk.
authors: Department of Visceral, Transplantation, Thoracic and Vascular Surgery, University Hospital Leipzig, Germany. henning.spieker@medizin.uni-leipzig.de
authors: Henning
authors: H
authors: Spieker
authors: Christoph
authors: C
authors: Benckert
authors: Markus
authors: M
authors: Quante
authors: Armin
authors: A
authors: Thelen
authors: Gereon
authors: G
authors: Gaebelein
authors: Udo
authors: U
authors: Kaisers
authors: Sven
authors: S
authors: Jonas
mesh_terms: D001241:Aspirin / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000077144:Clopidogrel; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D006470:Hemorrhage / Q000139:chemically induced; D006801:Humans; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000601:surgery*; D016031:Liver Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D020521:Stroke / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000517:prevention & control*; D013988:Ticlopidine / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors; D000077144:Clopidogrel; D013988:Ticlopidine; D001241:Aspirin