VTE AND YOUR PATIENTS
VTE is the most frequent serious
complication following hip
replacement (HR) and knee
replacement (KR) surgery.2,3
Deep vein thrombosis is the most common type of VTE, which can lead to pulmonary embolism (PE), a potentially life-threatening condition.5
hip replacement surgeryFACT:
VTE is the most common cause for readmission to the hospital following hip replacement surgery.2
The recommended approach to decrease probability of VTE in patients undergoing orthopedic surgery is by preventing it before it occurs.2-4
Assessing the Risk of VTE in Postsurgical Orthopedic
Patients
Orthopedic surgery involving a lower extremity is associated with nearly twice the rate of VTE as general surgery. Stasis of venous blood flow from postoperative immobility, direct injury to vein walls during surgery, and impairment to the coagulation system may all account for this increased risk.2,3
During the 19th century, the German pathologist Rudolph Virchow first theorized that thrombus formation originated from abnormalities occuring in the circulatory system.6
Virchow's triad, as it is known today, consists of 3 factors that are thought to contribute to thrombosis6,7:
- Venous stasis—slowing of blood flow
- Vascular injury—damage to the vein
- Hypercoagulability—changes in the blood that result in an increased tendency to form clots
Vascular Injury
