Off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting for acute heparin-induced thrombocytopenia

Surgical revascularization of coronary arteries is problematic for patients with heparin-induced thrombocytopenia because the available nonheparin anticoagulants cannot be reversed pharmacologically. We used three-vessel off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting in a patient with heparin-induced thrombocytopenia, as it allowed us to use substantially lower doses of nonheparin anticoagulant (danaparoid sodium), compared with procedures requiring cardiopulmonary bypass.