ALTERATIONS IN COAGULATION AND FIBRINOLYSIS AFTER SURGERY FOR AORTIC-ANEURYSM

We investigated the alterations in the coagulation and fibrinolysis sy stems after aortic aneurysm surgery under cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) while using newly developed ''molecular markers''. Fibrinogen and ant ithrombin III (AT-III) decreased after surgery but returned to normal values within three days. The thrombin-antithrombin III complex (TAT) and plasmin-alpha-2-plasmin inhibitor complex (PIC) both showed increa sed values even preoperatively, which indicated that coagulation and f ibrinolysis were activated in some patients with an aortic aneurysm. B oth markers maintained a high level for at least 14 days after surgery . The fibrin degradation product (FDP) also showed an increased value before and after surgery. These results apparently showed that coagula tion/fibrinolysis had already been activated in some patients and main tained such a state for at least 14 days after surgery. The relation o f activated system and postoperative organ dysfunction as well as the means to suppress such activation are also discussed.