Prevention of venous thromboembolism in patients undergoing surgical treatment of varicose veins

M. J. G. Testroote*, C. H. A. Wittens

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

Abstract

Introduction: There is no consensus among surgeons with regard to prevention of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in patients undergoing surgical treatment of varicose veins. We performed a systematic review of the available literature. Methods: We systematically searched the online database from PubMed for studies about the incidence of VTE and thromboprophylaxis in varicose vein surgery. We included 13 papers for review. Results: The incidence of VTE after varicose vein surgery remains unclear. Most retrospective case series report an incidence of deep venous thrombosis (DVT) of approximately 1%, based on a clinical diagnosis. However, three prospective studies have systematically detected DVT by means of duplex ultrasound and showed that the true incidence might be 5-10 times higher than expected on a clinical basis. Discussion: More data on the incidence of VTE, and the need for postoperative thromboprophylaxis are necessary to formulate evidence-based clinical guidelines. Therefore, high-quality randomised clinical trials, with high numbers of included patients, and ideally comparing prophylaxis to placebo are warranted.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)86-90
JournalPhlebology: The Journal of Venous Disease
Volume28
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Mar 2013

Keywords

  • varicose veins
  • venous thromboembolism
  • thrombosis prophylaxis

Cite this