Perioperative Anticoagulant Use for Surgery Evaluation Study

The primary aim is to demonstrate that a standardized but patient-focused protocol for the perioperative management of each DOAC is safe, with acceptably low rates of perioperative major bleeding (MB) and arterial thromboembolism (ATE). The perioperative protocol is adjusted based on patient renal function and surgery/procedure-related bleed risk, to optimize patient safety, and does not involve heparin bridging anticoagulation. The secondary aim of the PAUSE Study is to determine the effect of the pre-operative DOAC interruption protocol on the level of residual anticoagulation, when measured by 'everyday' coagulation tests that are not DOAC-specific (e.g., activated partial thromboplastin time \[aPTT\]) and 'specialized' coagulation tests that are DOAC-specific (dilute thrombin time \[TT\] - HemoclotTM, and anti-factor Xa assays). Approximately 3,300 patients from 15 to 25 centres over a 3.5 year period will be recruited across Canada for the PAUSE Study. Patients with Atrial Fibrillation and are currently taking dabigatran, rivaroxaban and apixaban (DOACs) and require elective surgery/procedure will follow a standardized management perioperative protocol for discontinuation of their DOAC prior to surgery. Patients will be discontinuing the DOAC they are currently receiving from 1 to 4 days prior to surgery or procedure, depending on bleed risk, type of DOAC, and creatinine clearance rate. A blood sample will be taken on the day of the surgery or procedure for measurement of laboratory outcomes (residual level of anticoagulant on day of surgery). Patients will be followed up weekly up to a month for primary outcome assessments.