What is the clinical evidence from this study?

Study design: Observational. Population: Postoperative deep-vein thrombosis (n=300). Intervention: Color Doppler screening. Primary outcome: Incidence of deep-vein thrombosis.

What does this research mean for the field?

Routine color Doppler screening reveals that approximately 10.3% of postoperative patients develop deep-vein thrombosis, with the majority of these cases being asymptomatic. Novelty: ClaimNovelty.INCREMENTAL. Consensus alignment: ConsensusAlignment.NEUTRAL.

January 1, 2024Open Access

Prospective Study of the Incidence of Asymptomatic Deep-vein Thrombosis in Postoperative Patients: A Single-center Study

Key Result

Routine color Doppler screening in 300 postoperative patients detected deep-vein thrombosis in 10.3% (31 patients), of which the majority (23 patients) were asymptomatic.

Study Design

Type

Observational (n=300)

Multicenter

Structured PICO

What is the incidence of asymptomatic deep-vein thrombosis in postoperative patients screened routinely with color Doppler?

Population

n=300 postoperative patients across various specialties at a single tertiary care center.

Intervention

Routine color Doppler ultrasound screening on the 1st, 7th, and 30th postoperative days.

Outcome

Incidence of asymptomatic deep-vein thrombosis (DVT) up to 30 days postoperatively.hard clinical

Routine color Doppler screening up to 30 days postoperatively identified a 10.3% incidence of DVT, the majority of which were asymptomatic.

Abstract

Abstract Introduction: Postoperative DVT remains one of the formidable challenges for the surgeon. It is associated with a significant risk of associated morbidity and mortality. Diagnosis of DVT is usually established by the combination of symptoms and imaging, which is most commonly performed noninvasively by color Doppler. However, in multiple instances, the patient may remain asymptomatic, and hence, the diagnosis may be missed. Aim and Methodology: This study was performed at tertiary care to study the incidence of asymptomatic DVT in postoperative patients across various specialties. All postoperative patients were subjected to color Doppler on the 1 st , 7 th , and 30 th postoperative days. Results: Out of 300 patients who were part of the study over 1 year, 31 patients developed DVT, of which eight were symptomatic. They all were managed as per any other patient of DVT by anticoagulants, class II stockings, and limb elevation. We had no mortality. Conclusion: DVT may develop in postoperative cases. It may be fatal if not recognized and treated in time. Timely diagnosis and adequate management remain key in avoiding morbidity and mortality. Data related to postoperative patients developing asymptomatic DVT are limited. There seems to be ambiguity in its etiology, prognosis, management protocol, and follow-up.