How to manage new oral anticoagulants in case of surgery

When a patient receiving new oral anticoagulants (NOACs) requires an invasive procedure, the consequences of bleeding if anticoagulation is continued and the risk of thrombosis if it is omitted need to be carefully considered. In addition to the bleeding risk of the procedure, it is of paramount importance to evaluate the renal function, especially for dabigatran that is eliminated predominantly via the renal pathway. NOAC therapy should be stopped for at least 24 h before the intervention, and a longer interruption should be considered in cases of high bleeding risk procedures and/or renal failure. A base-line assessment of coagulation should be performed and intervention should be postponed (if possible) if high levels of anticoagulation parameters are found. In the post-surgical period, if oral anticoagulant therapy cannot be re-started, patients should temporarily receive low molecular weight heparins and re-start NOACs as soon as possible.