The Significance of Thromboelastometry in Cardiac Surgery

Abstract

Bleeding during and after cardiopulmonary by-pass is multifactorial. Namely, the prolonged contact of platelets with the plastic hoses of the extracorporeal blood flow system disrupts their function, leads to the activation of platelets and the coagulation cascade, which ultimately results in thrombocytopenia by more than 30%, as well as consumptive coagulopathy.