Abstract
Prophylactic inferior vena cava filter (IVCF) placement is advocated in some high-risk groups. We sought data regarding safety and efficacy for prophylactic IVCF placement in patients at high risk for venous thromboembolism (VTE) following major spinal reconstruction. Seventy-four spine surgery patients with contraindication to anticoagulation (44 females, 30 males; mean age 56.2) received prophylactic IVCFs. Criteria were (1) history of thromboembolism, (2) diagnosed thrombophilia, (3) malignancy, (4) bedridden >2 weeks prior to surgery, (5) staged procedures or multiple levels, (6) combined anterior/posterior approaches, (7) expected need for significant iliocaval manipulation during exposure, and (8) single-stage anesthetic time >8 hr. Seventy patients had at least two risk factors. All received IVCFs prior to the first stage of spine reconstruction. Patients were evaluated for filter complications, deep vein thrombosis (DVT), and pulmonary embolism (PE). Patients’ lower extremity veins from groin to ankle were imaged weekly until discharge using duplex ultrasound (DUS). One-third also underwent thoracic and pelvic computed tomography scans, and the pelvic veins, IVC, and pulmonary vasculature were evaluated for VTE. Multiple DUS (n = 198, mean 2.6 studies per patient) were performed in 68 patients. At a mean follow-up of 11 months, one of the patients developed PE. Twenty-seven limbs in 23 patients developed DVT. Five limbs had isolated calf DVT, and 22 had proximal vein involvement. Insertion site DVT accounted for nearly one-third of the DVTs. Six patients died from unrelated complications. There was one technical error with an IVCF deployed in the iliac vein. Despite a high incidence of DVT following high-risk spinal surgery, prophylactic IVCF placement appears to protect patients from PE.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
FA Anderson SuffixJr HB Wheeler RJ Goldberg et al. (1991) ArticleTitleA population based perspective of the hospital incidence and case fatality rates of deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism: the Worcester DVT Study Arch Intern Med 151 933–938 Occurrence Handle10.1001/archinte.151.5.933 Occurrence Handle2025141
P Kaboli MC Henderson RH White (2003) ArticleTitleDVT prophylaxis and anticoagulation in the surgical patient Med Clin North Am 87 77–110 Occurrence Handle10.1016/S0025-7125(02)00144-X Occurrence Handle1:CAS:528:DC%2BD3sXhsFOjurw%3D Occurrence Handle12575885
D Bergqvist (1994) ArticleTitleThe role of vena caval interruption in patients with venous thromboembolism Prog Cardiovasc Dis 37 25–37 Occurrence Handle1:STN:280:ByuB1MvmtFQ%3D Occurrence Handle8022984
RH White H Zhou J Kim et al. (2000) ArticleTitleA population-based study of the effectiveness of inferior vena cava filter use among patients with venous thromboembolism Arch Intern Med 160 2033–2041 Occurrence Handle10.1001/archinte.160.13.2033 Occurrence Handle1:STN:280:DC%2BD3czkslKnuw%3D%3D Occurrence Handle10888977
FB Rogers SR Shackford MA Ricci et al. (1995) ArticleTitleRoutine prophylactic vena cava filter insertion in severely injured trauma patients decreases the incidence of pulmonary embolism J Am Coll Surg 180 641–647 Occurrence Handle1:STN:280:ByqB1M7ltlU%3D Occurrence Handle7773475
GC Velmahos J Kern LS Chan et al. (2000) ArticleTitlePrevention of venous thromboembolism after injury: an evidence-based report; part I. Analysis of risk factors and evaluation of the role of vena caval filters J Trauma 49 132–138 Occurrence Handle1:STN:280:DC%2BD3czoslOltw%3D%3D Occurrence Handle10912869
GC Velmahos J Kern LS Chan et al. (2000) ArticleTitlePrevention of venous thromboembolism after injury: an evidence-based report; part II. Analysis of risk factors and evaluation of the role of vena caval filters J Trauma 49 140–144 Occurrence Handle1:STN:280:DC%2BD3czoslOltA%3D%3D Occurrence Handle10912870
JS Gosin AM Graham RG Ciocca JS Hammond (1997) ArticleTitleEfficacy of prophylactic vena cava filters in high-risk trauma patients Ann Vasc Surg 11 100–105 Occurrence Handle1:STN:280:ByiB3MvnslM%3D Occurrence Handle9061147
RA Maxwell M Chavarria-Aguilar WT Cockerham et al. (2002) ArticleTitleRoutine prophylactic vena cava filtration is not indicated after acute spinal cord injury J Trauma 52 902–906 Occurrence Handle11988656
AM Carlin JG Tyburski RF Wilson C Steffes (2002) ArticleTitleProphylactic and therapeutic inferior vena cava filters to prevent pulmonary emboli in trauma patients Arch Surg 137 521–527 Occurrence Handle11982463
JT Dearborn SS Hu CB Tribus DS Bradford (1999) ArticleTitleThromboembolic complications after major thoracolumbar spine surgery Spine 24 1471–1476 Occurrence Handle10423793 Occurrence Handle1:STN:280:DyaK1Mzlt1GqsA%3D%3D
KD Calligaro WS Bergan MJ Haut et al. (1991) ArticleTitleThromboembolic complications in patients with advanced cancer: anticoagulation versus Greenfield filter placement Ann Vasc Surg 5 186–189 Occurrence Handle1:STN:280:By6C1MjmvV0%3D Occurrence Handle2015191
JR Cohen N Tenenbaum M Citron (1991) ArticleTitleGreenfield filter as primary therapy for deep venous thrombosis and/or pulmonary embolism in patients with cancer Surgery 109 12–15 Occurrence Handle1:STN:280:By6D1c7pt1Q%3D Occurrence Handle1984634
University of Alabama at Birmingham/Spinal Cord Injury Information Network Website, http://www.spinalcord.uab. edu (accessed January 8, 2001)
HJ Sugerman EL Sugerman L Wolfe et al. (2001) ArticleTitleRisks and benefits of gastric bypass in morbidly obese patients with severe venous stasis disease Ann Surg 234 41–46 Occurrence Handle1:STN:280:DC%2BD3MvhtVKqsg%3D%3D Occurrence Handle11460821
T Duperier A Mosenthal KG Swan S Kaul (2003) ArticleTitleAcute complications associated with Greenfield filter insertion in high-risk trauma patients J Trauma 4 545–549 Occurrence Handle10.1097/00005373-200303000-00018
H Galster G Kolb A Kohsytorz C Seidlmayer V Paal (2000) ArticleTitleThe pre-, peri-, and postsurgical activation of coagulation and the thromboembolic risk for different risk groups Thromb Res 100 381–388 Occurrence Handle1:CAS:528:DC%2BD3MXitlejtw%3D%3D Occurrence Handle11150579
JH Scurr (1990) ArticleTitleHow long after surgery does the risk of thromboembolism persist? Acta Chir Scand Suppl 556 22–24 Occurrence Handle1:STN:280:By6C2czivV0%3D Occurrence Handle2288177
MG Catre (1997) ArticleTitleAnticoagulation in spinal surgery. A critical review of the literature Can J Surg 40 413–419 Occurrence Handle1:STN:280:DyaK1c%2FnvVWmsA%3D%3D Occurrence Handle9416250
SE Rokito MC Schwartz MG Neuwirth (1996) ArticleTitleDeep vein thrombosis after major reconstructive spinal surgery Spine 21 8539 Occurrence Handle10.1097/00007632-199604010-00016
T Oda T Fuji Y Kato et al. (2000) ArticleTitleDeep venous thrombosis after posterior spinal surgery Spine 25 2962–2967 Occurrence Handle1:STN:280:DC%2BD38%2FgsFymtg%3D%3D Occurrence Handle11074685
JE Tetzlaff HJ Yoon J O’Hara et al. (1994) ArticleTitleInfluence of anesthetic technique on the incidence of deep venous thrombosis after elective lumbar spine surgery Reg Anesth 19 IssueIDSuppl 28
JL West Suffix3rd LD Anderson (1992) ArticleTitleIncidence of deep vein thrombosis in major adult spinal surgery Spine 17 S254–S257 Occurrence Handle1523508
MD Smith EL Bressler JE Lonstein R Winter MR Pinto F Denis (1994) ArticleTitleDeep venous thrombosis and pulmonary embolism after major reconstructive operations on the spine. A prospective analysis of three hundred and seventeen patients J Bone Joint Surg Am 76 980–985 Occurrence Handle1:STN:280:ByuB1MblvVM%3D Occurrence Handle8027126
J Blebea R Wilson P Waybill et al. (1999) ArticleTitleDeep venous thrombosis after percutaneous insertion of vena caval filters J Vasc Surg 30 821–829 Occurrence Handle1:STN:280:DC%2BD3c%2FhvVaqtA%3D%3D Occurrence Handle10550179
A Kantor S Glanz DH Gordon SJ Sclafani (1987) ArticleTitlePercutaneous insertion of the Kimray-Greenfield filter: incidence of femoral vein thrombosis A.J.R. Am J Roentgenol 149 1065–1066 Occurrence Handle1:STN:280:BieD2cnktFQ%3D
P Prandoni AW Lensing A Cogo et al. (1996) ArticleTitleThe long-term clinical course of acute deep venous thrombosis Ann Intern Med 125 1–7 Occurrence Handle1:STN:280:BymB2crgslE%3D Occurrence Handle8644983
PY Marcy N Magne M Frenay JN Bruneton (2001) ArticleTitleRenal failure secondary to thrombotic complications of suprarenal inferior vena cava filter in cancer patients Cardiovasc Intervent Radiol 24 257–259 Occurrence Handle11779016 Occurrence Handle1:STN:280:DC%2BD38%2Flt1Cnsg%3D%3D
PJ Offner A Hawkes R Madayag et al. (2003) ArticleTitleThe role of temporary inferior vena cava filters in critically ill surgical patients Arch Surg 138 591–595 Occurrence Handle12799328
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
About this article
Cite this article
Leon, L., Rodriguez, H., Tawk, R.G. et al. The Prophylactic Use of Inferior Vena Cava Filters in Patients Undergoing High-Risk Spinal Surgery. Ann Vasc Surg 19, 442–447 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10016-005-0025-1
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10016-005-0025-1