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Because of concerns about possible thrombotic complications, warfarin is usually not stopped before skin surgery. Does continuing warfarin increase the risk for perioperative bleeding? In this prospective, controlled, observational study from the U.K., 65 warfarin recipients continued the blood thinner during excision of 70 skin tumors. The degree of perioperative bleeding in these patients was compared with bleeding in a control group of 92 patients having similar skin surgery by the same surgeons but who were not taking warfarin, aspirin, or other anticoagulant or antiplatelet agents. The surgeons knew the patient’s warfarin status and preoperative INR level. An INR level was also obtained at the time of surgery.
At the time of surgery, th…