A comprehensive study on incidence and risk factors of deep vein thrombosis in asymptomatic patient after prolonged surgery

ABSTRACT

Background: Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is one of the most dreaded complications in postoperative patients as it is associated with considerable morbidity and mortality. The prevalence of Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) in various series involving Western population ranges from 15% to 40% among patients undergoing major general surgical procedures. The aim of the study To identify risk factors of deep vein thrombosis in asymptotic patients after prolonged surgery Age, Gender, Diabetes, Hypertension, COPD, Hyperlipidemia, Renal disorder, liver disorder, duration of surgery, blood transfusion, nature of surgery elective or emergency, type of surgery. Materials and methods: This study was conducted in the Department of General Surgery, Government Stanley Medical College, Chennai in 2018. 100 patients admitted to our hospital for a period of 11 months according to inclusion criteria. All the patients were subjected to handheld doppler study of the deep venous system of both lower limb and ileac system on a postoperative day 2, day 5 and day 7 Confirmation of DVT using duplex scan. Results: The predominant age group was 40-59 years constituting 37% followed by 20- 39 years constituting 36%. 31% of patients were diabetic on insulin and 17% were hypertensive on treatment. D. Princess Beulah, T. Avvai. A comprehensive study on incidence and risk factors of deep vein thrombosis in asymptomatic patient after prolonged surgery. IAIM, 2019; 6(3) 237-242. Page 238 Out of 100, 21 patients were suffering from malignancies. Majorities were carcinoma breast and gastrointestinal malignancies. 33% received injection low molecular weight heparin as prophylaxis. Conclusion: For patients who undergo surgery for a prolonged duration (especially > 3 hours) and prolonged immobilization (> 2 days), it is recommended to screen them with Doppler for the incidence of DVT along with appropriate DVT prophylaxis in the post-op period to avoid morbidity and mortality associated with unforeseen and asymptomatic deep vein thrombosis.