SCREENING FOR DEEP-VENOUS THROMBOSIS AFTER HIP AND KNEE REPLACEMENT WITHOUT PROPHYLAXIS

We performed routine venography after operation in a consecutive serie s of 252 patients with total joint arthroplasties in whom no form of r outine chemical or mechanical prophylaxis had been used. The prevalenc e of deep-vein thrombosis (DVT) was 32% (16% distal, 16% proximal) aft er total hip replacement and 66% (50% distal, 16% proximal) after tota l knee replacement (p < 0.001). We did not treat distal DVT. There wer e only two readmissions within three months of surgery because of thro mboembolic disease. There were two deaths within this period, neither of which was due to pulmonary embolism.