The Effect of Platelet-Altering Medications on Bleeding From Minor Oral Surgery Procedures

Purpose: This study was performed to assess the extent of bleeding from minor oral surgical procedures in patients taking platelet-altering medications. They were compared with patients who were not taking platelet-altering medicines to assess differences in extent of blood loss. Materials and Methods: A prospective observational study design was used to quantitatively assess the amount and severity of bleeding encountered with dentoalveolar surgery in 2 groups. The experimental group consisted of people taking therapeutic doses of platelet-altering medications, and the control group was composed of patients who had not taken a platelet-altering medication for at least 10 days prior to surgery. Surgical blood loss was measured, and the groups were compared for statistically significant differences in blood loss. Results: There was no difference in blood loss detected between the experimental or control groups. No bleeding complications were encountered. Conclusion: Our data suggest that patients on aspirin and NSAIDs can safely undergo routine minor outpatient oral surgical procedures without modification of their platelet-altering medication.