Information for Patients
From the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons
Total Joint Replacement: Questions Patients Should Ask Their Surgeon
Venous Thromboembolic Disease in Orthopaedic Surgery
A practicing orthopaedic surgeon should acknowledge the risk of venous thromboembolic disease (VTED) following orthopaedic surgical procedures on the lower extremity. Specifically, patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty or total knee arthroplasty and patients with complex trauma appear to be at particular risk. The recommendation of the Seventh American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP) Conference on Antithrombotic and Thrombolytic Therapy are discussed for patients undergoing total hip replacement, total knee replacement, hip fracture surgery, knee arthropscopy, elective spine surgery, and surgical treatment of lower extremity fractures distal to the femur.
Keywords: deep vein thrombosis, DVT, pulmonary embolism, PE, pulmonary embolus, venous thromboembolism, venous thrombosis, lower extremity thrombosis, leg thrombosis, incidence, etiology, prophylaxis, epidural anesthesia, diagnosis, venography, ultrasound, clinical signs, electrocardiogram, arterial blood gas, pulmonary angiogram, ventilation-perfusion scan, spiral CT angiography, treatment, heparin, warfarin, THA, TKA, deep venous thrombosis, low-molecular-weight heparin, LMWH, ascending contrast venography, color Dopplar ultrasound, magnetic resonance venography, electrocardiography, arterial blood gas analysis, pulmonary angiography, V-Q scan, ventilation-perfusion scan, spiral computed tomography angiography, aspirin therapy