ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The objective of this study was to review the long-term efficacy of a post-operative venous thromboembolism (VTE) prevention program at our institution. METHODS: We performed a review of the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS NSQIP) data at our hospital from January 2008-December 2022. The primary outcome was risk-adjusted VTE events. RESULTS: In 2009, a postoperative general surgery patient was three times more likely to have a postoperative VTE event than predicted (O/E ratio 3.02, 95% CI 1.99-4.40). After implementing a mandatory VTE risk assessment model and a risk-commensurate prophylaxis protocol in the electronic medical record in 2011, the odds ratio of a patient developing a postoperative VTE declined to 0.70 by 2014 (95% CI 0.40-1.23). This success persisted through 2022. CONCLUSIONS: Since the implementation of a standardized postoperative VTE prevention program in 2011, our institution has sustained a desirably low likelihood of VTE events in general surgery patients.
