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Venous thromboembolism after lower limb arthroplasty: is chemical prophylaxis still needed?

  • Original Article • HIP - ARTHROPLASTY
  • Published:
European Journal of Orthopaedic Surgery & Traumatology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Background

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a significant complication of lower limb arthroplasty. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence recommends routine use of chemical and mechanical prophylaxis to prevent VTE. Our high-volume, elective, arthroplasty unit adopted this guidance in 2008.

Purpose

We examined our incidence of VTE before and after introduction of chemical thromboprophylaxis to determine whether the incidence of VTE reduced.

Methods

We retrospectively gathered data on 2 cohorts of patients—from January 2004 to August 2007 (Group 1) and January 2010 to December 2012 (Group 2). Patients in Group 1 received mechanical prophylaxis only (unless particularly high risk for VTE), and patients in Group 2 received mechanical and chemical prophylaxis. We recorded VTE occurring within 6 months of surgery. Patients in Group 1 receiving chemical prophylaxis were excluded.

Results

Group 1 had 2320 cases of primary and revision lower limb arthroplasty, and Group 2 had 1430 cases. VTE occurred in 37 cases in Group 1 (1.6 %), and in 17 cases in Group 2 (1.2 %). This difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.26). In Group 1, 1 patient died within 6 months due to pulmonary embolism (0.04 %); there were no VTE-related deaths in Group 2 (0 %). This was also not statistically significant (p = 0.06).

Conclusions

Although our VTE rate reduced by 0.4 % and our VTE-related mortality reduced by 0.04 % after introduction of chemical thromboprophylaxis, these differences were not statistically significant. Chemical thromboprophylaxis may not be required in all patients undergoing arthroplasty providing appropriate mechanical prophylaxis is used.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Orthopaedics, York Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Wigginton Road, York, YO31 8HE, UK

    Karan Malhotra, Jan L. Marciniak, Sandra J. Bonczek & Neil Hunt

Authors
  1. Karan Malhotra
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  2. Jan L. Marciniak
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  3. Sandra J. Bonczek
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  4. Neil Hunt
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Correspondence to Karan Malhotra.

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Ethical approval

The protocol for this retrospective study was reviewed and approved by our local institutional review board. This project was initiated as an audit as part of service evaluation, and therefore it was deemed that ethical approval was not required. Individual patient data are not reported, and therefore consent was not required. This article does not contain any studies with human participants or animals performed by any of the authors.

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Malhotra, K., Marciniak, J.L., Bonczek, S.J. et al. Venous thromboembolism after lower limb arthroplasty: is chemical prophylaxis still needed?. Eur J Orthop Surg Traumatol 26, 895–899 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00590-016-1820-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00590-016-1820-9

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