Baby aspirin before surgery?

Short answer: it depends on the surgery and why you’re taking low‑dose aspirin. It can affect bleeding during and after surgery, so your clinician needs to decide.

General guidelines (not a substitute for medical advice):
- For elective noncardiac surgery in many people, doctors often stop low‑dose aspirin about 5–7 days before to reduce bleeding risk.
- If you’ve had a recent stent, heart attack, or have a high risk of clotting, your cardiologist may say to continue aspirin and manage bleeding risk during surgery. In some cases they may discuss “bridging” with another medication.
- For minor procedures (e.g., some dental work), the surgeon or dentist may allow continuation or may still recommend stopping—depends on the procedure and your bleeding risk.
- On the day of surgery, you’ll usually be told to skip the morning dose unless your surgical team instructs otherwise.
- After surgery, aspirin is typically restarted once bleeding is controlled and the surgeon approves, often the same day or the next day, depending on the procedure.

What you should do now:
- Do not change your aspirin plan on your own. Contact the surgeon/anesthesiologist or the cardiologist who manages your aspirin therapy.
- Tell them your exact procedure, how long you’ve been on low‑dose aspirin, and whether you’ve had a stent, heart attack, or other cardiovascular issues.
- Bring a current list of medications to your appointment and ask:
- Should I stop aspirin before this surgery? If yes, for how long?
- If I should stop, what about other antiplatelets or anticoagulants?
- Will you restart aspirin after surgery, and when?
- Are there alternatives to minimize bleeding or clot risk?

If you share more details (type of surgery, your reason for aspirin, time since any cardiac event or stent), I can give a more tailored general overview. But for anything specific, follow your surgical team’s instructions.