BMI-stratified risk of thromboembolic events following lumbar spine surgery with aspirin prophylaxis

Study design: Level of Evidence: Therapeutic Level III. Background and objective: Aspirin is commonly used for VTE prophylaxis in orthopedic procedures due to its safety and cost-effectiveness. However, its association with thromboembolic outcomes in obese and morbidly obese patients undergoing LSS remains unclear, particularly in the absence of BMI-specific prophylaxis guidelines. This study evaluates whether venous thromboembolism (VTE) event rates differ by body mass index (BMI) category in patients undergoing lumbar spine surgery (LSS) treated with aspirin monotherapy. Methods: ) cohorts. After 1:1 propensity score matching, 23,139 patients were included in each group. A secondary analysis compared obese (BMI 30-39.9) and morbidly obese (≥40) subgroups. Outcomes included incidence of DVT and PE at 90 and 180 days, along with secondary complications such as hematoma and myocardial infarction. Results: Obese patients had higher observed rates of 90-day DVT (RR: 1.23, 95 % CI: 1.02-1.48) and PE (RR: 1.45, 95 % CI: 1.14-1.84) compared to non-obese patients. At 180 days, PE risk remained elevated (RR: 1.27, 95 % CI: 1.03-1.57), while DVT risk was no longer statistically significant. Morbidly obese patients had a higher 180-day PE risk than the obese group (RR: 1.54, 95 % CI: 1.03-2.29). No significant differences were observed in hematoma or myocardial infarction across groups. Conclusion: Among patients undergoing LSS with aspirin monotherapy, PE risk remained elevated in obese and especially morbidly obese patients at 180 days, despite matched baseline characteristics. While differences were statistically significant, absolute risk increases were modest. These findings support the need for prospective studies to evaluate whether weight-adjusted dosing, alternative agents, or adjunctive mechanical prophylaxis may offer improved protection in high-BMI populations.