Management of symptomatic deep venous thrombosis and pulmonary embolism on a neurosurgical service

The authors present a retrospective analysis of the management of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE) in neurosurgical patients at the Massachusetts General Hospital from January, 1978, through June, 1982. There were 44 cases of DVT and 13 cases of PE. Management modalities included observation only, femoral vein ligation, inferior vena cava clipping, transvenous placement of an inferior vena cava filter or umbrella, and anticoagulation therapy. Six (75%) of eight patients with symptomatic DVT who were managed by observation alone had subsequent pulmonary emboli, and three (38%) died. Femoral vein ligation was followed by PE in one of four cases and led to significant leg swelling in two others. Neither observation alone nor femoral vein ligation can be recommended as routine management options. Partial inferior vena cava interruption with a De Weese clip, Kim-Ray Greenfield filter, or Mobin-Uddin umbrella all successfully prevented pulmonary emboli. The major problem associated with these methods was leg edema, which occurred in 47% of patients with clip placement, 25% with filter placement, and 21% with a Mobin-Uddin umbrella. Anticoagulation therapy was associated with a complication rate of 29% and a mortality rate of 15%. Fatal PE and paradoxical hypercoagulability with gangrene of a lower extremity were the causes of death. In one patient, hemorrhage into a glioblastoma occurred following discontinuation of anticoagulation therapy when the coagulation parameters were normal. The authors conclude that: 1) management with observation alone of patients with symptomatic DVT places the patient at risk for the development of life-threatening pulmonary emboli; 2) the safety and timing of therapeutic anticoagulation in postoperative neurosurgical patients or patients with tumors is unclear; and 3) partial interruption of the inferior vena cava with a transvenous filter successfully prevents PE and may represent a safer alternative to anticoagulation therapy.