Muhammet Hüseyin ERKAN, Ömer Faruk RAHMAN
İstanbul Medical Journal - 2026;27(3):181-188
Introduction: This study aimed to evaluate the levels of knowledge, clinical approaches, attitudes, and recent experiences of bleeding complications among physicians in non-cardiovascular surgical disciplines regarding perioperative antithrombotic drug management. Methods: This cross-sectional descriptive study included 176 physicians from various surgical specialties in Türkiye. Data were collected on demographic information, clinical practice preferences, and antithrombotic medication knowledge, assessed with a 13-item true/false questionnaire. Construct validity was confirmed using confirmatory factor analysis, with comparative fit index: 0.98 and root mean square error of approximation: 0.012. Descriptive statistics and non-parametric tests were used for analysis. Results: The mean knowledge score was 7.69 out of 13. Warfarin was the drug causing the greatest preoperative concern (65.9%). During the previous six months, 47.2% of participants reported minor bleeding complications, and 11.4% reported major bleeding complications. Knowledge scores were highest among anesthesiology physicians and significantly lower among pediatric surgery, urology, and ear, nose and throat physicians (p<0.001). Physicians older than 51 years and those with more than 15 years of experience had significantly lower scores (p<0.05). Aspirin management varied considerably, with 39.8% discontinuing treatment and 40.3% consulting another specialty. Conclusion: Physicians demonstrated moderate knowledge levels and substantial inter-specialty variability in perioperative antithrombotic management. Lower knowledge scores among more experienced physicians highlight the need for continuous education. Establishing multidisciplinary anticoagulation management teams and standardized decision-support protocols may improve patient safety and reduce complications.
