I was due for an operation on the 22nd Nov to remove a hemorrhoid which i seemed to have adopted since my heart attack a year ago. But the surgeon was so reluctant to carry out the surgery just a couple hours before the surgery that he canceled it because of the aspirin im taking for my stents. The Cardiologist is not happy for me to stop taking the aspirin but said it "should" be ok for the minimal amount of time. Both surgeon and the Cardiologist said if i i go forward with the surgery whilst taking the aspirin my chances for something bad happening increases from 1/100 to 2/100. The surgeon has told me i have to have the surgery but now i am getting very nervous. They have now ordered specialist blood test to determine how the aspirin is interacting with my stents, I cannot believe i am the only person who has been in the same predicament. Any thoughts or anyone who has had the same issue not necessarily hemorrhoids but needing essential surgery whilst on aspirin.
Aspirin is giving me doubts about sur... - British Heart Fou...
Aspirin is giving me doubts about surgery
I have PAD (peripheral arterial disease) but because of the risk of a clot I was advised to take aspirin on the day of surgery (quadruple bypass). The effect of aspirin lasts 24 hours so it might be feasible to take it the night before surgery and the morning after. Talk it over with your cardiologist and surgeon. Also don't drink alcohol for five days before as it affects clotting as well.
Hi thank you for the reply. The problem I’m facing is slightly different as Aspirin stays in the body for 7 days so I would have to stop for at least 8 days prior to surgery as they are worried my blood won’t clot and stay off atleast 5 days after. The Cardiologist says it’s risky for me to stop the Aspirin as he is worried my stents will clot but I have to have the surgery which will result in bleeding. Apparently the blood test will involve them manipulating my blood to see what will happen if I stop the Aspirin. So what should have been a simple quick day surgery is now turning in to a major general surgery with blood and Cardiologist on stanby. I am still bemused that I am the only who has faced this. It’s reasuring but also worrying that the surgeon is talking to me directly via phone on 2 occasions, is this normal? Sorry to sound on but since my heart attack I now suffer anxiety.
No wonder you are suffering anxiety! Wow! Talk about a Carch 22 situation.
Can they not switch you to Clopidogrel instead of the Apirin for the duration (or longer)?
Hello thanks for the reply. The Cardiologist is quite persistent about the Aspirin because of “my type of blood”. Still yet to find what makes mine so different. Maybe clots too easily who knows all I know is it’s something to do with the stents.
I do get to hear about the horrendous post-H-op pain. You might have saved yourself from that...
If you are considering life style changes, I recommend that you watch the film "Forks Over Knives". It is on Netflix and YouTube. It is about global medical research, including a massive study of 800,000 Chinese people. You might find it helpful, I did. It will show you that you can clear out your arteries. In the film, there is a bloke with 27 diseases. After 6 months on a WFPB diet he was down to 1.
Are you happy to say what type of haemorrhoids - internal/external? And if internal are they prolapsed?
Hello,
Both internal and external, majority are small and are of little concern. However I have one very large which developed when I was on my first lot of medication after my heart attack and now too close to the exit which now has ulcerations and small legions which is a concern now of infection. They cannot band or staple that one only surgery.
I think what you maybe should ask yourself is would you have been prepared to have the Operation with a 2% risk, if you hadn't known about the Aspirin increasing the risk from 1% to 2%. I have been in this type of situation with a blocked Coronary artery, big risk small reward to try to open it. All surgeons work on Risk v Reward so personally I would be guided by what the Surgeon said. I was going to say these choices are a bit of a pain in the !! but that's not a lot of help.
Best of Wishes
I agreed with the surgeon when he decided to cancel the OP because I sensed he wasn’t totally happy with all the information he had and I told him then that I’d rather have the OP when he was confident enough to give me the best chance of success. I will give him credit he has called me the day before surgery and today to let me know what is going on and what he has decided. Hence he requested this specialised blood test. Unfortunately I cannot get away without surgery regardless of chance because the risk of infection is more dangerous. P.S. I do not mind the candour as I have learned to live with all the butt jokes.
Seriously, it will not be a bit of pain. I heard that it's immensely ghastly.
Bottom line is ( no pun intended), you need to keep the area washed and clean at all times, stop straining, avoid constipation, eat fibre-rich food more often. Holistic approach is a way to go. Anything invasive has risks.
You sound as if you have two caring, skilled and experienced consultants which makes the chance of a successful op. much higher. I can understand your misgivings but it seems as though the op. is really necessary.
You face the choice between two different risks:
If you do not stop the aspirin you have a small increase in. the risk of bleeding in your operation. If you stop the aspirin you have a small increase in the risk of a stent thrombosis or heart attack.
It sounds as if your cardiologist would prefer you to carry on with the aspirin while the surgeon, not surprisingly, is more concerned with avoiding surgical bleeding complications.
I had a lesser but related experience, in that I had a fluoroscopic injection into my frozen shoulder where the radiologist wanted me to stop my clopidogrel ( a stronger anti-platelet than aspirin) for a week beforehand. My cardiologist was absolutely adamant I shouldn't, as I had a fairly recent drug-eluting left main stent. I went with the cardiologist. A risk of bleeding into my shoulder joint, versus a risk of stent thrombosis and a major heart attack - no contest, and in fact I had no extra bleeding.
But the principle is the same - you have to decide which outcome is the one you most wish to avoid.
I looked up the general NHS guidance for patients, and it is to continue taking aspirin with minor surgery, as the cardiovascular risk outweighs the bleeding risk. I would take your cardiologists's advice. If the surgeon knows you have a higher risk of bleeding (only 2%) he will be extra careful and prepared to deal with the bleeding if it arises. Surgeons do know how to deal with bleeding and most is minor and easily dealt with.
Haemorrhoid surgery may not be pleasant, but it's extremely safe. Hope you're sorted soon.
Thank you for your thoughts I certainly have a lot to digest and mentally prepare for.
The only thing I can add to previous comments is regards pain level after the operation. Over the last year both a friend and a neighbour had ops for very serious haemorrhoids. I won't fool you and anyway you will know that post op you will have some pain however neither have regretted their decision to have ops and they both commented that the pain was no greater than prior to the op. Very best of luck
This is my experience of surgery while taking daily aspirin for heart disease and 2 stents. Six weeks ago I had surgery to repair a large hiatus hernia and Nissen fundoplication. As the aspirin was for heart disease, I was told not to stop taking it (apparently the norm is to stop for a week before any surgery) but just not to take it on the day of surgery. The surgery went well and I resumed the aspirin the following day. I did develop a haematoma under one incision site and this was put down to the fact that I was on aspirin, so there was a little more bleeding (or"oozing"as the registrar referred to it!) than normal, but it dispersed on its own. I also had quite a lot of bruising, but expected this as I now bruise very easily.
Thank you, you are the most similar to my case and glad that I’m not the only one. Thank you for giving me some insight to what could happen. How long did your recovery take if you do not mind me asking. The pre-op nurse told me I could go back to work a couple days after?
It was quite a big gastric operation and recovery takes a long time. My incisions have healed well, still some bruising, but I still seem to get tired easily - probably not helped by a very restrictive diet and weight loss of almost a stone, which is expected after this surgery. Fortunately I no longer work, but most people return to work 2-3 weeks after this surgery. My operation was very different to yours, but I hope it relieves your anxiety about having surgery while taking aspirin.
Hi, If your nurse said you would be able to go back to work in a couple of days, she is kidding you! I had a haemorrhoidectomy for a large haemorrhoid and repair of mucosal prolapse. It is a painful recovery but I bought a sitz bath from Amazon for under £7 which fits onto the bowl of a toilet (had to turn it back to front for a proper fit) and allows you to sit comfortably with your butt end under water. It was a god send, can’t tell you how comforting it was when things got a bit rough. Next bit of advice, get stool softener from GP prior to op. Gross as this may sound, I even sat in the sitz bath and passed the stool into the water as it was so much easier than struggling on a toilet. It can then be tipped down the toilet along with the water in the bath. Although it is a painful recovery, it is so worth it to resolve a really miserable condition. Hope this helps with the pain side. Good luck.
Thank you
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