Incidence of deep vein thrombosis after major spine surgeries with no mechanical or chemical prophylaxis

Study design: Retrospective cohort study. Clinical question: What is the incidence of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE) after major spine surgery when no prophylactic measures were used? Methods: A prospective evaluation of 121 patients who underwent 128 major spine surgeries was conducted to determine the incidence of clinically identifiable DVT. As a matter of practice, no patient was given thromboprophylaxis, either mechanical or chemical. Results: Only one patient developed the signs and symptoms of DVT, which was further confirmed by a Doppler study. The overall incidence of DVT was 0.78%. There was no clinically evident case of PE. Conclusions: Considering the low rate of incidence of DVT and PE, routine screening and prophylaxis for DVT appears unwarranted in major spine surgery. [Table: see text]