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

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. 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. 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 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.