Review of von Willebrand Disease and Acquired von Willebrand Syndrome for Patients Undergoing Cardiac Surgery

The etiology of bleeding during cardiac surgery is multifactorial and includes both surgical and hematologic causes.1 When evaluating a patient with a known bleeding disorder for cardiac surgery, it is important to understand the mechanism that prevents the formation of adequate clotting. In the case of von Willebrand disease (vWD), there is either a quantitative or qualitative deficiency of a multimeric glycoprotein called von Willebrand factor (vWF). This factor is essential for hemostasis after a vascular injury and supports the interaction between platelets and platelet-vessel surfaces.
Source: Journal of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Anesthesia - Category: Anesthesiology Authors: Tags: Review Article Source Type: research