"Endogenous Heparin-Like Substances Significantly Impair Coagulation in Patients Undergoing Orthotopic Liver Transplantation."

According to the authors' abstract of an article published in Anesthesia and Analgesia, "Orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) is associated with severe bleeding, especially after reperfusion of the grafted liver. Heparin released from the liver graft contributes to post-reperfusion coagulopathy. Although patients with liver cirrhosis have increased levels of endogenous heparinoids, the role of these substances during liver transplantation is unclear. Therefore, we performed native and heparinase-modified thrombelastography (TEG) in 72 patients undergoing OLT. TEG was performed at skin incision, 10 min before and 10 min after clamping of the vena cava, 10 min before and 10 min after...

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