title: Antithrombotic effects of aspirin on 1- or 2-level lumbar spinal fusion surgery: a comparison between 2 groups discontinuing aspirin use before and after 7 days prior to surgery.
abstract: METHODS
  Retrospective clinical analysis.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To study proper discontinuation date of aspirin in spinal fusion surgery.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  It is thought that excess bleeding can be normalized if aspirin intake is discontinued approximately 7 days before surgery; however, the average life span of a platelet is generally regarded to be 7 to 10 days.
  
  
  METHODS
  From January 2004 to December 2009, a single surgeon performed 182 cases of 1- or 2-level lumbar fusion surgical procedures. Patients who were aspirin users (n = 86) were divided into 2 groups according to the number of days prior to surgery that they discontinued their aspirin use: the aspirin 1 group discontinued their aspirin use 3 to 7 days before surgery and the aspirin 2 group discontinued their aspirin use 7 to 10 days before surgery. Ninety-six patients who did not use aspirin before surgery were selected for the control group. We retrospectively compared the several hematological parameters among the 2 aspirin groups and the control group.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Both the total amount of drained blood and the duration of indwelling of the drainage catheter were significantly less in the control group than in the aspirin 1 group in patients who underwent either type of 1-level fusion surgery. However, those were not significantly different between aspirin 2 group and control group in patients who underwent either type of 1-level fusion surgery. Only drainage catheter was significantly less in the control group than in the aspirin 1 group in patients who underwent 2-level fusion surgery.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Only the aspirin 1 group, wherein patients discontinued aspirin use 3 to 7 days before surgery, showed a greater drained blood and drainage catheter than the control group. If aspirin was discontinued 7 days or longer before surgery, there was no difference in the study parameters, compared with the control group.
  
  
  METHODS
  3.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Gangneung, Korea.
authors.forename: Jin Hoon
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Yongchel
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ahn
authors.forename: Byeong Sam
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Kyu-Taek
authors.initials: KT
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Kyuhwak
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Se Hun
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Sung Woo
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Roh
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001241:Aspirin / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005260:Female; D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D006801:Humans; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000187:drug effects / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D055118:Medication Adherence; D008875:Middle Aged; D011182:Postoperative Care / Q000379:methods*; D011300:Preoperative Care / Q000379:methods*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013123:Spinal Fusion / Q000379:methods*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents; D001241:Aspirin