Deep Venous Thromboembolism Following Ambulatory General Surgery

Area of Science:

• General Surgery
• Vascular Surgery

Background:

• Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a known complication of inpatient surgery.
• VTE risk in ambulatory surgery patients is less understood.
• Outpatient procedures are increasingly common, necessitating VTE risk assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review current literature on VTE incidence and risk factors after elective outpatient general surgery.
• To identify specific risk factors associated with VTE in ambulatory surgical patients.
• To compare VTE rates in outpatient surgery to the general population baseline.

Main Methods:

• Systematic literature search of PubMed and Embase (2000-2022).
• Inclusion of peer-reviewed English articles on VTE/PE in adult outpatient general surgery (excluding specific surgical types).
• Analysis of reported VTE incidence and risk factors.

Main Results:

• Twelve studies met inclusion criteria; 5 focused on cholecystectomy and hernia repair.
• VTE/PE incidence ranged from 0.0% to 0.5%, similar to general population rates.
• Identified risk factors include older age, higher BMI, longer operative time, Trendelenburg position, and pneumoperitoneum.

Conclusions:

• VTE risk appears low for elective outpatient general surgery.
• Risk factors identified are consistent with those in inpatient settings.
• Future research should evaluate the risk-benefit ratio of VTE prophylaxis in ambulatory surgery.