THROMBOEMBOLISM AFTER FOOT AND ANKLE SURGERY - A MULTICENTER STUDY

Thromboembolic disease presents a potentially fatal complication to pa tients undergoing orthopaedic surgery, Although the incidence after hi p and knee surgery has been studied and documented, its incidence afte r surgery of the foot and ankle is unknown, For this reason, a prospec tive multicenter study was undertaken to identify patients with clinic ally evident thromboembolic disease to evaluate potential risk factors , Two thousand seven hundred thirty-three patients were evaluated for preoperative risk factors and postoperative thromboembolic events. The re were six clinically significant thromboembolic events, including fo ur nonfatal pulmonary emboli, after foot and ankle surgery. The incide nce of deep vein thrombosis was six of 2733 (0.22%) and that of nonfat al pulmonary emboli was four of 2733 (0.15%). Factors found to correla te with an increased incidence of deep vein thrombosis were nonweightb earing status and immobilization after surgery, On the basis of these results, routine prophylaxis for thromboembolic disease after foot and ankle surgery probably is not warranted.