Role of Bivalirudin for Anticoagulation in Adult Perioperative Cardiothoracic Practice

Bivalirudin, a direct thrombin inhibitor with a fast onset of action and short half-life, is often referred to as an alternative anticoagulant to a heparin/protamine regimen. Bivalirudin demonstrated promising results as an anticoagulant in cardiac surgery with and without cardiopulmonary bypass, postcardiotomy extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, interventional cardiology and endovascular procedures, and particularly in the treatment of patients with heparin-induced thrombocytopenia undergoing high-risk cardiac surgery.

Currently, bivalirudin in cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass has a limited clinical spectrum, likely because the still obvious advantages of its competitor, heparin, outweigh it in terms of medical costs, established point-of-care monitoring systems, and availability of protamine as a reversal agent. The unique pharmacology of the drug also requires adjustment of surgical and perfusion strategy. In contrast, in off-pump coronary artery surgery, established protocols from interventional cardiology can be easily translated into the operating room. In this setting bivalirudin has the potential for a more important role in the future. Through a triple mechanism of action—inhibition of plasma thrombin, clot bound thrombin, and collagen-induced platelet activation—bivalirudin may perform better than heparin by attenuating the immediate postoperative prothrombotic state and thus positively impacting the early coronary graft patency after off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting. Further studies are necessary to better evaluate this niche field and discover further applications for this unique anticoagulant.