What are the effects of preoperative enoxaparin versus unfractionated heparin on bleeding indices in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting?
Studies have shown that preoperative use of enoxaparin compared with unfractionated heparin can increase the incidence of re-exploration for postoperative bleeding after open-heart surgery in patients who present with an acute coronary syndrome, as well as increase the risk of postoperative bleeding and re-exploration in cardiac surgery patients (McDonald et al., 2005; Jones et al., 2002). However, other studies have found that preoperative use of enoxaparin is not a risk factor for postoperative bleeding after coronary artery bypass surgery (Kincaid et al., 2003; Medalion et al., 2003). Therefore, it appears that the effects of preoperative enoxaparin versus unfractionated heparin on bleeding indices in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting can vary depending on the individual patient.  