LAVH: Surgery and Recovery woes with APS(sticky blood clot problem)

im scheduled for surgery july 20th and trying to get things in order here before then. im petrified becuz i have a blood clot problem that im on anticoags for plus i take mtx and many other meds. anyone out there have to stop meds before surgery? i was told i cant stop the anticoag by some and told by others to stop it??? want to get all the dr's on the same page and do whats best for me as far as recovery during surgery and after goes. im afraid of getting blood clots plus my blood pressure has been running high and jumps all over the place. anyone out there have any of these problems and do fine? would love to hear from you.
angelicadawn

Hi AngelicaDawn and welcome. Even at this point your doctors are at odds about what you should stop taking? That must be a bit disconcerting for you. I hope that some of our sisters who have had to make the same decisions regarding medications will be along shortly to share their stories. All the best to you.

my mom takes coumadin and has to switch to lovenox shots before her surgeries.
you might want to have your surgeon call your m.d. so they can agree on a treatment plan for you.

Hi AngelicaDawn.

My emergency TVH was a side effect of Coumadin I take for blood clots (DVT). My poor uterus started to bleed massively and just wouldn't stop. After 10 transfusions and still bleeding like a sieve, gyn said it had to go.

I stopped the Coumadin on Tuesday and had my surgery on Friday, then began Coumadin again Friday evening. I didn't have any problems, though I had a pretty hand-scribbled note taped over my bed that read "high risk for clots." Nurses made me get up and walk a lot, came regularly to supervise leg stretches, and when I woke up I had those lovely white stockings and leg pumps on. I had to stay in the hospital until the following Tuesday to regulate the Coumadin before my doctors would let me come home.

I just had surgery in May to repair a torn tendon in my ankle (and then had my gallbladder out the same week, yikes!) Doc switched me to Lovenox 5 days prior to the tendon surgery with instructions to take nothing the day before or day of my surgery. Then I resumed Coumadin the day of my surgery. Because I didn't expect the gallbladder surgery, I was only off Coumadin for 2 days before, but did just fine.

Your doctors will need to consider your risk for bleeding during surgery with the risk of developing life-threatening clots. Usually anticoags are an absolute contraindication to surgery, though, so I would be hesitant to undergo one while taking them. I understand Lovenox is metabolized quickly so it leaves the system quicker than Coumadin. I think that's why so many doctors switch to it before a surgery. My PCP was the one who coordinated all of my medication therapy through my surgeries.

Best wishes to you. I hope the matter gets resolved.

Thank you so much for your input it truly means alot to me (((hugs)))

You are welcome, AngelicaDawn. Rest assured that doctors are pretty saavy about this issue and have probably had to deal with it many times before. I have met so many people who use anticoagulants. My doctors were extremely cautious and caring, and kept a close eye on my protime and INR throughout my ordeal. I was kept close to 1.5 during the last surgery. I'm sure your doctors will figure out what to do for you.

My GYN actually recommended my new PCP, who is an internist, before my surgery. My "old" doc had switched hospitals and I knew I didn't want a new GYN (I've been with this guy for nearly 14 years. His retired associate delivered my daughters). When I went to him to be checked for the bleeding, he said, 'OMG you have to go to the hospital right now.' Problem was my old PCP practiced in the "other" hospital and I didn't have an admitting physician. So he called this new guy, who took me sight-unseen. I've been very happy and continue with him today.

Turned out for me that the bleeding was completely caused by the Coumadin. So once the uterus was gone, the bleeding was too, and I've had no lingering health issues in that area, either.

Let me know how things go for you.