A Guide for Patients Who Take Medicines to Prevent Blood Clots and Need a Procedure or Operation

If you take medicine like blood thinners, antiplatelets, or aspirin to prevent blood clots, then procedures (such as surgeries, or operations) can require careful planning on how to safely start or stop medications.

The Procedure Playbook is for people who are planning for a procedure. Inside our quick guide, you’ll find:

  • How to adjust your medicines before and after a procedure (including surgery or operation)
  • Tools & worksheets to help track changes to your perioperative (or “around the time of surgery”) medication schedule

Note: The Playbook is based on medical guidelines and is NOT personalized medical advice. Always discuss medication adjustments with your care team beforehand. This guide was developed for people who take medicine to prevent blood clots and need a planned surgery or procedure. It is not for people who need an emergency operation.

The Procedure Playbook:

Download the full playbook below, or find specific medication sheets by scrolling down to “Printable Guides by Medication”.

Click to View the Full Playbook
Click to View the Entire Playbook^

Printable Guides by Medication (alphabetical):

Apixaban (Eliquis®) & Surgery

Clopidogrel (Plavix®) & Surgery

Dabigatran (Pradaxa®) & Surgery

Edoxaban (Savaysa®) & Surgery

Prasugrel (Effient®) & Surgery

Rivaroxaban (Xarelto®) & Surgery

Ticagrelor (Brilinta®) & Surgery

Warfarin (Jantoven®) & Surgery

Full Playbook (All Medications)

Upcoming Surgery?

Surgery is a major risk factor for having a blood clot. Read ways to minimize the risk of having a clot after surgery by focusing on primary prevention (stopping a clot from ever happening) and secondary prevention (stopping new and additional clots from forming).

Learn more!