The Incidence Of Deep Vein Thrombosis In Post Operative Patients In A Large South Indian Tertiary Care Centre
3120-3127
Correspondence
Dr. Leo F. Tauro
Department of General Surgery
Fr. Muller Medical College Hospital
Kankanady, Mangalore – 2. D.K.
Karnataka, India
Ph.No: Hosp: (0824) 2436301, Res: (0824) 2224911
E-Mail – drlftauro@rediffmail.com
Objective: To determine the incidence of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in postoperative patients after major abdominal, orthopaedic and neurosurgical procedures, which require long term postoperative hospital stay and to identify the risk factors for DVT in these patients.
Materials and Methods: This is a prospective study done in our medical college’s hospital from July 2004 - June 2006. The patients were chosen from all the major branches of surgery, provided they were selected to undergo major surgical procedures requiring prolonged hospital stay after surgery. They were all over the age of 30 years and were routinely assessed for deep vein thrombosis by duplex scan pre and post operatively.
Results: A total number of one hundred patients were studied. Out of them, 60 were males and 40 were females. The patients were between the age groups of 30 – 91 years (the mean age was 53 years). Out of 100 postoperative patients, deep vein thrombosis was observed in 14 patients; out of these, 7 were from general surgery, 4 were from neurosurgery and 3 were from orthopaedics. In this study, out of 76 patients who underwent surgery under general anaesthesia, 9 patients developed DVT and out of 24 patients who underwent surgery under spinal anaesthesia, 5 developed DVT.
Conclusion: In this study, the incidence of deep vein thrombosis in postoperative patients was found to be 14 % (as compared to 34-63% in the Western population). The incidence of DVT in our study (14%) is significant enough to advocate prophylactic anticoagulant therapy to those who have to undergo major surgical procedures and those who have risk factors.