Thromboprophylaxis after bariatric surgery

BACKGROUND: Venous thromboembolism (VTE), which includes deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE), is a known cause of morbidity and mortality after bariatric surgery. However, the data concerning appropriate thromboprophylaxis after bariatric surgery is uncertain. The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of extended duration thromboprophylaxis in post-bariatric surgery patients.METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study of consecutive patients who underwent bariatric surgery from November 2014 to October 2018 at King Fahad General Hospital in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. All included patients were treated with extended duration thromboprophylaxis.RESULTS: We identified 374 patients who underwent bariatric surgery during the study period. Of these, 312 patients (83%) were followed for at least 3 months. The most common type of surgery was a laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (N=357) and the median weight was 110 kg. The cumulative incidence of symptomatic postoperative VTE at 3 months was 0.64% (95% confidence interval, 0.20–1.52). All events occurred after hospital discharge. The most commonly used pharmacological prophylaxis (91%) for VTE prevention after bariatric surgery was enoxaparin 40 mg subcutaneously twice daily for 10–14 days after hospital discharge. There were no reported cases of bleeding or VTE related mortality after 3 months.CONCLUSION: Extended thromboprophylaxis after bariatric surgery appears to be an effective and safe strategy for VTE prevention. Large prospective studies are needed to evaluate the optimal thromboprophylaxis regimen after bariatric surgery.

Immunological evaluation of beta-thalassemia major patients receiving oral iron chelator deferasirox

To determine the immune abnormalities and occurrence of infections in transfusion-dependent beta-thalassemia major patients receiving oral iron chelator deferasirox [DFX]. An observational study. Hematology Clinics, King Khalid University Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from July to December 2010. Seventeen patients with beta-thalassemia major [12 females, median age 26 years] receiving deferasirox [DFX] for a median duration of 27 months were observed for any infections and had their immune status determined. Immune parameters studied included serum immunoglobulins and IgG subclasses, serum complement [C3 and C4] and anti-nuclear antibody [ANA] level, total B and T-lymphocytes, CD4+ and CD8+ counts, CD4+/CD8+ ratio, and natural killer [NK] cells. Immunological parameters of the patients were compared with age, gender, serum ferritin level and splenectomy status. Lymphocyte subsets were also compared with age and gender matched normal controls. A considerable reduction in serum ferritin was achieved by DFX from a median level of 2528 to 1875 micromol/l. Serum IgG levels were increased in 7 patients. Low C4 levels were found in 9 patients. Total B and T-lymphocytes were increased in 14 patients each, while CD4+, CD8+ and NK cells were increased in 13, 12 and 11 patients respectively. Absolute counts for all lymphocyte subsets were significantly higher compared to the normal controls [p