title: Thromboembolism in patients undergoing thoracotomy.
abstract: To determine the incidence of thromboembolism in relation to thoracotomy, 77 patients undergoing pulmonary resection were prospectively studied up to 30 days postoperatively for deep venous thrombosis and pulmonary embolism. Overall, 20 of 77 patients (26%) had thromboembolic events during their hospitalization. Four deep venous thromboses and 1 pulmonary embolism were detected in 5 of 77 patients preoperatively for an incidence of 6%. Postoperative thromboembolism was detected in 15 of 77 (19%): deep venous thrombosis in 11 (14%) and pulmonary embolism in 4 (5%). No postoperative thromboembolisms occurred in the 17 patients receiving preoperative aspirin or ibuprofen, whereas they did occur in 25% of the remainder (15/60). Thromboembolism after pulmonary resection was more frequent with bronchogenic carcinoma than with metastatic cancer or benign disease (15/59 [25%] versus 0/18 [0%]; p < 0.01), adenocarcinoma compared with other types of carcinoma (11/25 [44%] versus 4/34 [12%]; p < 0.0004), large primary lung cancer (> 3 cm in diameter) compared with smaller lesions (9/19 [47%] versus 6/40 [15%]; p < 0.0001), stage II compared with stage I (7/14 [50%] versus 7/34 [21%]; p < 0.04), and pneumonectomy or lobectomy compared with segmentectomy and wedge resection (14/49 [29%] versus 1/28 [4%]; p < 0.005). Three of 4 patients with thromboembolism detected preoperatively had operation within the previous year. Postoperative pulmonary embolism was fatal in 1 of 4 (25%) and accounted for the one death. These results suggest patients undergoing thoracotomy for lung cancer, especially adenocarcinoma, should be considered for thromboembolic prophylaxis.
authors.affiliation: McClellan Memorial Veterans' Hospital, Little Rock, AR 72205.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ziomek
authors.forename: R C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Read
authors.forename: H G
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Tobler
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Harrell
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Gocio
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Fink
authors.forename: T J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Ranval
authors.forename: E J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Ferris
authors.forename: D L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Harshfield
authors.forename: D R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: McFarland
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000601:surgery; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002283:Carcinoma, Bronchogenic / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery; D008875:Middle Aged; D011013:Pneumonectomy / Q000009:adverse effects; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011655:Pulmonary Embolism / Q000209:etiology; D012307:Risk Factors; D013908:Thoracotomy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D013923:Thromboembolism / Q000209:etiology*; D013924:Thrombophlebitis / Q000209:etiology