Incidence of postoperative deep veins thrombosis in general surgical wards detected by doppler ultrasound study

الملخص EN

Background : Deep venous thrombosis (DVT) is a well recognized post operative complication and there are different ways for its diagnosis.

Doppler ultrasound is a safe, sensitive and easily applicable tool in diagnosis of DVT. Aim : The aim of study is to determine the incidence of postoperative lower limb deep veins thrombosis in general surgical wards by using duplex ultrasound scan. Patients and method : between 5th February to 15th of October 2008, 118 patients were randomly selected from general surgical wards in AL-Sadder teaching hospital in ALNajaf city.

Patients were classified according to their risk factors into low, moderate and high risk groups.

No prophylactic anticoagulant treatment was given to any patient preoperatively nor after the operation.

Patients were observed for signs of DVT.

All patients were examined at 6th ± 1 postoperative day using color coded duplex scan. Result s : Of 118 patients studied there were 43 men and 75 women with a mean age of 48years (range 22-75 year).

21 (17.7 %) patients had super major operation, 69 (58.6 %) patients had major operation and 28 (23.7 %) had minor operation. Regarding the risk factors ; 45patients (45.7 %) were below 40 years of age and 64 patients (54.3 %) were above 40 years, 15 patients (12.7 %) presented with malignancy and 26patient (22.1 %) have chronic diseases.

Of 118 patients examined only one patient (0.84 %) had developed DVT.

Five patients developed superficial vein thrombosis (calf veins) in the 5th post operative day and on re-examination at 8th postoperative day all patients were with no evidence of DVT. Conclusion : Deep venous thrombosis is of very low incidence and there is no need for routine prophylactic anticoagulation in our patients.