BMC2 Data Presented During VAM 2025 in New Orleans, LA, June 4 - 7

Dr. Craig Brown presented the poster “Characterizing the Effect of Heparin Dose and Monitoring Activated Clotting Time on Postoperative Lower Extremity Bypass Outcomes” during the 2025 Vascular Annual Meeting in New Orleans, LA, June 4 – 7.

Using anticoagulation medication during surgery is essential for preventing blood clots. Intravenous heparin is most commonly administered at a dose targeted at a measured intraoperative activated clotting time (ACT) of >250 seconds. The effects of heparin dosing or monitoring ACT on postoperative outcomes are primarily unknown.

Dr. Brown and his colleagues looked at BMC2 data for rates of postoperative bleeding, arterial/graft thrombosis, major amputation, readmission, and death among patients within 30 days after lower extremity bypass (LEB).

They found there is substantial variation in intraoperative heparin dose and ACT monitoring across hospitals. While heparin dosing was not associated with outcomes, an ACT >250 was associated with a substantially increased risk of postoperative bleeding.

Future randomized studies targeting standardized intraoperative heparin dosing and ACT monitoring protocols may result in simplified care pathways without negatively affecting outcomes.

Co-authors are Shukri Dualeh, MD; Nicholas H. Osborne, MD; Jeremy Albright, Phd; Andrew Huang, MD; Loay Kabbani, MD; Frank M. Davis, MD; Herbert D. Aronow, MD, MPH;  Andrew S. Kimball, MD; Eugene Laveroni, DO; Paul Bove, MD; Constantinos Constantinou, MD; Nicolas J. Mouawad, MD, MPH; Peter K. Henke, MD.

View a PDF of the poster on our website.