Thromboprophylaxis After Hospitalization for Joint Replacement Surgery

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic Surgery
• Vascular Medicine
• Patient Recovery

Background:

• Venous thromboembolism (VTE) poses a significant mortality risk post-major orthopedic surgery, particularly hip and knee arthroplasty.
• Current guidelines recommend 35-day thromboprophylaxis and intermittent pneumatic compression (IPC) therapy.
• Limited data exists on patient adherence to these recommendations during home recovery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the prescription, utilization, and patient education regarding thromboprophylaxis after major orthopedic surgery.
• To assess adherence to recommended VTE prevention strategies in the outpatient setting.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional descriptive study surveyed 388 patients within two years of major orthopedic surgery.
• Data collected included prescribed thromboprophylaxis (pharmacologic and mechanical), duration, and adherence levels.

Main Results:

• Over 75% of patients received thromboprophylaxis for less than the recommended 35 days.
• While 93.8% were prescribed pharmacologic agents, only 55.9% received mechanical compression therapy, with 13.4% specifically prescribed IPC.
• Moderate adherence to mechanical compression was observed, with 63% using it ≥75% of the time.

Conclusions:

• Findings indicate a need to increase thromboprophylaxis duration and IPC use in the outpatient setting for major orthopedic surgery patients.
• Further research into prescribers' perspectives on thromboprophylaxis is warranted to improve patient outcomes and reduce VTE risk.