Ocular surgery on patients receiving long-term warfarin therapy.

We analyzed data of 50 patients receiving long-term warfarin sodium therapy who underwent ocular surgery between 1982 and 1986. The frequency of hemorrhagic and thrombotic complications was compared in patients in whom anticoagulants were continued, those in whom the anticoagulants were discontinued in the perioperative period, and a group of matched control patients. There were six perioperative hemorrhagic complications in the warfarin-treated group (12%) compared to none in the control group. This difference was significant (P less than .03). However, no significant difference in hemorrhagic complications was seen between patients in whom warfarin sodium was continued and those in whom it was discontinued.