Deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism prophylaxis in ankle and foot orthopedic procedures: a suggested protocol

Abstract

Venous thromboembolism is a potentially fatal condition that can complicate the recovery of hospitalized patients. Especially patients undergoing major surgical procedures such as orthopedic operations are at risk. Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE) are complications hard to diagnose, and the treatment can often begin too late to be effective. The patients at risk can be identified and can receive prophylaxis resulting in lower costs in treatment and less morbidity and mortality. Thus, we suggest, in this study, the use of a post-operative thromboprophylaxis protocol on foot and ankle orthopedic surgery to prevent the DVT and EP, thus avoiding complications that would reduce the patients quality of life.