We evaluated perioperative bleeding after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) in patients preoperatively treated with ticagrelor or clopidogrel, stratified by discontinuation of these P2Y₁₂ inhibitors.

All
patients from the prospective, European Multicenter Registry on
Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting (E-CABG) treated with ticagrelor or
clopidogrel undergoing isolated primary CABG were eligible. The primary
outcome measure was severe or massive bleeding defined according to the
Universal Definition of Perioperative Bleeding, stratified by P2Y₁₂ inhibitor discontinuation. Secondary outcome measures included four additional definitions of major bleeding. Propensity score matching was performed to adjust for differences in preoperative and perioperative covariates.

Of
2,311 patients who were included, 1,293 (55.9%) received clopidogrel
and 1,018 (44.1%) ticagrelor preoperatively. Mean time between
discontinuation and the operation was 4.5 ± 3.2 days for clopidogrel and
4.9 ± 3.0 days for ticagrelor. In the propensity score–matched cohort,
ticagrelor-treated patients had a higher incidence of major bleeding
according to Universal Definition of Perioperative Bleeding when
ticagrelor was discontinued 0 to 2 days compared with 3 days before the
operation (16.0% vs 2.7%, p = 0.003). Clopidogrel-treated
patients had a higher incidence of major bleeding according to the
Universal Definition of Perioperative Bleeding when clopidogrel was
discontinued 0 to 3 days compared with 4 to 5 days before the operation
(15.6% vs 8.3%, p = 0.031).

In
patients receiving ticagrelor 2 days before CABG and in those receiving
clopidogrel 3 days before CABG, there was an increased rate of severe
bleeding. Postponing nonemergent CABG for at least 3 days after
discontinuation of ticagrelor and 4 days after clopidogrel should be
considered.