Risk of Thromboembolism and Bleeding After General Surgery in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation

We provide insight into the risk of perioperative thromboembolism and bleeding in patients who have atrial fibrillation, use anticoagulants, and undergo a surgical procedure. Ninety-four patients underwent 121 noncardiac operations during a mean follow-up of 29 months. There was a 3.6-fold increased risk for all bleeding complications within 1 month after surgery compared with the control period (95% confidence interval 1.05 to 12.0). No thromboembolic event occurred in the first month after surgery compared with 11 events in the remaining period (0.4% per month).