Deep vein thrombosis, or DVT, occurs when a blood clot forms in one of the deep veins of the body. This can happen if a vein becomes damaged or if the blood flow within a vein slows down or stops. While there are a number of risk factors for developing a DVT, two of the most common are experiencing an injury to your lower body and having surgery that involves your hips or legs.
A DVT can have serious consequences. If a blood clot breaks free, it may travel through the bloodstream and block blood flow to the lungs. Although rare, this complication—called a pulmonary embolism (PE)—can be fatal. Even if a blood clot does not break free, it may cause permanent damage to the valves in the vein. This damage can lead to long-term problems in the leg such as pain, swelling, and leg sores.
In many cases, DVT occurs without noticeable symptoms and is very difficult to detect. For this reason, doctors focus on preventing the development of DVT using different types of therapies, depending upon a patient’s needs. Your doctor will take steps to prevent DVT if you have a major fracture or are having lower extremity surgery—including total hip or total knee replacement.
DVT and PE following orthopaedic surgery is preventable through the use of both mechanical means (such as TED stockings) and through the use of drugs such as aspirin, clexane or warfarin.
Our approach is guided by the Arthroplasty Society of Australia, which can be viewed at www.aoa.org.au. Patients are stratified according to risk and deemed to be at either low or high risk of VTE post-operatively.
For low risk patients we prescribe:
- early mobilization
- TED stockings
- 150mg of Aspirin daily for 6 weeks
For patients at high risk of VTE we prescribe:
- pre-operative consultation with physician/haematologist/cardiologist
- early mobilization
- TED stockings
- Warfarin or Clexane for a minimum 6 week period
It is important to remember that the single most effective way of preventing clots is to get up and moving. If you have any concerns or questions regarding VTE prophylaxis please speak to Mr Watson at your consultation.