Can plavix (clopidogrel) interfere with the healing of reconstructive surgery after a mastectomy? i had a bilateral mastectomy 6 months ago with immediate reconstruction. in oct the one expander broke thru suture line...causing me to have it removed. nov

Any : Any drug that affects bleeding can interfere with surgical healing. Plavix (clopidogrel) inhibits platelet function and thereby inhibits the ability for blood clots to form. This is good for your arteries (prevents heart attack and stroke), but can present a problem for surgery. Generally, surgeons are able to operate safely while a patient remains on plavix, but if the drug is able to safely be stopped then it is preferable to not operate on plavix. The key decision is to weigh the cardiovascular risk of stopping Plavix vs. The surgical risk of continuing it. If you have had a recent cardiac stenting procedure, then stopping Plavix can be very dangerous. I would suggest that you talk with your cardiologist and ask him/her to discuss your specific case with your breast surgeon.

Expander extrusion.: Tissue expanders are placed during breast reconstruction to stretch the skin. A know complication of tissue expanders is expander extrusion. If the skin is thin, especially if the skin has been radiated, the pressure of the expander my cause the incision, or the skin itself to break down. Plavix (clopidogrel) can increase bleeding during surgery, but is not associated expander extrusion 6 months after surgery.