Ann Arbor, Mich. — According to researchers at the University of Michigan, the highest-risk outpatient surgery patients have a huge increase in risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) requiring therapy.
The study, published in the Annals of Surgery, analyzed data from the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database, looking at the period from 2005 to 2009. Adult outpatient surgery or surgery along with subsequent 23-hour observation patients were part of the study, HealthDay News reports.
Study investigators found an overall 30-day incidence of VTE of 0.15 percent. Risk factors that independently increased the possibility of VTE were current pregnancy, active cancer, age, high body mass index, two-hour or more operative time, arthroscopic surgery, saphenofemoral junction surgery and venous surgery not involving the great saphenous vein. Using a weighted risk index, the study found a 20-fold difference in 30-day VTE between lowest-risk and highest-risk patients.
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