title: Failure in prophylactic management of thromboembolic disease in colorectal surgery.
abstract: The operative courses of 294 elective consecutive colorectal resections were reviewed in order to evaluate the morbidity and mortality of postoperative thromboembolic complications. All patients received low-dose heparin prophylaxis. Fifty-seven patients were screened for deep venous thrombosis with the fibrinogen uptake test, and treatment of thromboembolism was started if the diagnosis was established by venography and/or pulmonary scintigraphy. Neither the morbidity nor mortality from clinical thromboembolic complications was lowered in the group of patients who were screened. Rectal surgery seems to carry a higher risk of postoperative thromboembolic complications than colon surgery, and thromboembolic complications are responsible for about half of the postoperative deaths following elective colorectal surgery.
authors: Department of Surgical Gastroenterology, Herlev Hospital, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors: P
authors: P
authors: Wille-Jørgensen
authors: J
authors: J
authors: Kjaergaard
authors: T
authors: T
authors: Jørgensen
authors: T
authors: T
authors: Korsgaard Larsen
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D003106:Colon / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D005340:Fibrinogen / Q000378:metabolism; D006493:Heparin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012007:Rectum / Q000601:surgery*; D012307:Risk Factors; D013923:Thromboembolism / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*
chemical_list: D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes; D005340:Fibrinogen; D006493:Heparin