Death and defeat: Joseph Stalin suffered atherosclerosis due to his heavy smoking. Early morning on March 1 Stalin went to bed. At dawn Stalin did not leave his bedroom. His guards found it unusual that Stalin didn't wake up at his usual time. They were under orders to not disturb Stalin and left him alone for the rest of the day.
In patients with previous arterial embolism, only 4 daily doses of warfarin should be withheld preoperatively and the INR should be measured the day before surgery to determine if a small dose of vitamin K is needed to accelerate the reversal of anticoagulation.
The exception is Tylenol (acetaminophen) For pain control, Tylenol is a safe alternative that can be taken at any time before surgery. If you are taking warfarin (COUMADIN), HEPARIN or Lovenox, it is very important to discuss this with your doctor before surgery.