Hypogastric vein ligation during oncologic surgery as thromboembolic disease prevention

Pulmonary embolism and vein thrombosis are frequent and dangerous complications in pelvic surgery. They can be the cause of death in 0.01%-0.87%. The Authors have used, since 1973, as vein thrombosis prophilaxis (VTP): early mobilization, physiotherapy, elastic compressive stocking plus pharmacologic therapy. Since 1975, according to Heidrich and Thomas researches, they have also adopted hypogastric vein ligation (HVL) in high risk patients, because those Authors underlined a primitive responsibility of the hypogastric district (mainly the left one). The Authors mortality rate after the introduction of HVL seemed very low. However, since Jan. '86, they have divided the high risk patients in 3 group (R), in order to collect statistically significant data in the usefulness of the proposed technique.