Venous thromboembolism prophylaxis in colorectal surgery.

Patients who undergo colorectal surgery are at a substantially higher risk for deep vein thrombosis (DVT) than their general surgery counterparts. The incidence of DVT in colorectal surgery patients who do not receive prophylaxis is approximately 30%; a four-fold increase exists in the incidence of pulmonary embolism. The precise reasons for the increased risk are uncertain; likely, contributing factors are the need for pelvic dissection, patient positioning (eg, use of stirrups), and indications for surgery (eg, inflammatory bowel disease, cancer). Despite the clear evidence that supports the safety and efficacy of DVT prophylaxis, appropriate preventive measures are frequently not used. Heparin preparations and mechanical compression in combination likely represents the most appropriate prophylactic regimen in these high-risk patients. Standard heparin appears to be as effective as low-molecular-weight heparin and considerably less costly. In the presence of relatively poor adherence to consensus guidelines for prophylaxis, critical pathways or electronic alerts may be useful to facilitate compliance with appropriate preventive measures.