The Coagulation Cascade in Perioperative Organ Injury

Surgical procedures and surgical stress commonly unbalance the coagulation system, causing hypo- or hypercoagulability. Several mechanisms contribute to the organ injury related to the activation of coagulation system, including extravascular fibrin deposition, small-vessel obstruction by thrombosis, and amplification of cellular inflammatory pathways. This chapter covers the basic coagulation and fibrinolytic functions and discuss alterations of these functions in the perioperative period.