Venous Thromboembolism Prevention Protocol: Experience of 2,000 Cases in Total Knee Arthroplasty

Objective  The objective of the present study is to evaluate the impact evaluate the impact of an institutional protocol on a tertiary hospital for the prevention of venous thromboembolism in 2005 patients submitted to primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Methods  Data from medical records of patients submitted TKA before ( n  = 1,115) and after ( n  = 890) the implementation of the institutional protocol, totaling 2,005 patients, were retrospectively reported. Demographics, comorbidities, and outcomes were analyzed. Results  There was no significant change in the cases of deep venous thrombosis (DVT) (1.6% versus 2.4%; p  = 0.211). There was an increase in cases of pulmonary embolism (PE) (0.2% versus 0.8% p  = 0.049). Conclusion  Despite the implementation of the prevention protocol, no reduction in the studied events was observed. The small global incidence makes further studies with larger series necessary to confirm or rule out these findings.