ASO Author Reflections: Preoperative Venous Thromboembolism in Asymptomatic Patients Undergoing Major Oncologic Surgery

Excerpt

Venous thromboembolism (VTE), consisting of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE), remains a leading cause of in-hospital postoperative mortality, with as high as 10% of hospital deaths attributable to PE.1 In addition to the standard risk of VTE secondary to undergoing an operation, cancer patients, due to hypercoagulability, have an increased risk of developing VTE. This risk translates to a two- to threefold increased risk of fatal PE in cancer patients undergoing major oncologic surgery.2 Prior data show that if patients undergoing major oncologic surgery do develop postoperative VTE, they have an increased risk of death.3 The fear of this dreaded complication has led to the development and implementation of postoperative risk assessments to determine the appropriate mechanical and chemical prophylaxis. Our current study looked at the prevalence and risk factors associated with preoperative VTE in asymptomatic patients undergoing major oncologic surgery. …