Acquired von Willebrand syndrome
ICD-10 D68.0 · ICD-11 3B2Y

What Is the Treatment of Acquired von Willebrand Syndrome in Patients Undergoing Minor Surgery?

Patients with a confirmed diagnosis of Acquired von Willebrand syndrome (AvWS) who are scheduled for minor surgery present a distinct perioperative hemostatic challenge. Impaired von Willebrand factor function in this setting raises the risk of surgical bleeding and requires a structured, protocol-driven approach from the outset.

Management in this scenario involves a vWF/FVIII concentrate together with adjunctive antifibrinolytic therapy. The specific clinical indications, agent selection, sequencing, and all dosing criteria are defined in the full protocol — only a partial overview is presented here.

References
DOI: 10.5603/ahp.107038

For patients undergoing minor surgery, desmopressin (DDAVP, 0.3 μg/kg i.v./s.c.) can be considered, with careful monitoring of vWF:Ag, FVIII:C, vWF:RCo/vWF:CB levels to guide repeat dosing due to its short effect duration.

vWF/FVIII concentrate if DDAVP inadequate.

Antifibrinolytic agents (e.g., tranexamic acid 20–25 mg/kg q8–12h) are recommended as adjunctive therapy, particularly in surgical sites with high fibrinolytic activity, such as oral or gastrointestinal mucosa.

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