Surgery after Plavix

[music90605]

I had 2 stents (RCA & LAD) July, 2012 at CCF. Have been on Plavix for 13 months and find I need Hernia surgery now as I am having having many problems due to the Hernia. What is the possibility of having surgery?  If I have surgery is the Plavix stopped for a number of days and then resumed?

[Flycaster305]

I had to have emergency surgery for a bowel obstruction several years ago following a number of stents in the LAD and RCA, and exactly the protocol that CCFHeartMD25 suggested was followed.  They held the scheduled Plavix dose and planned for some extra bleeding with blood plasma.  I indeed had some extra bleeding but they were ready for it.  As long as all the doctors are on the same page, I'd precede with confidence.  Also, I know most hernia surgeries are done using laproscopic surgery, which is minimally invasive and causes much less bleeding than surgery requiring big scalpel cuts.  

[CCFHeart MD25]

Generally speaking, the best advice is to contact the cardiologist who performed your cardiac stenting procedure. They know you and your coronary anatomy. The guidelines state that plavix is indicated for at least 1 year after placement of a drug-eluting stent. Aspirin at a dose of 81 mg per day should be taken forever (and not withheld ever except for only a certain few surgical procedures. An elective hernia surgery is not one of these surgeries and thus the aspirin should be continued daily despite having surgical repair of your hernia). Most cardiologist would say it is ok to hold the plavix around the time of your procedure. It may not need to be resumed after the procedure, but I would leave that up to your cardiologist who placed the stents in the first place.