What Surgeons MUST KNOW about Compression & Anticoagulation For Postoperative Blood Clot Prevention
This video explores a number of important issues regarding the use of mechanical compression devices and compression stockings alone and in combination with standard anticoagulation postoperatively. The major finding from this Russian study is that patients with Caprini scores of 11 and above greatly benefit when pneumatic compression devices are added to standard anticoagulation for blood clot prevention. Breakthrough thrombosis using anticoagulation alone was frequently seen in these high-risk patients using anticoagulation and stockings (34 events). A second group of these high risk patients received anticoagulation, stockings, and pneumatic compression devices. Only one thrombotic event was seen in the combined group. Surgical stockings were used in all of these patients which did not influence the results but increased the risk of minor skin complications mostly in the foot or ankle. The location of these abnormalities implicates the stockings since mechanical compression was not used on the feet.