[Prevention of postoperative phlebothrombosis by means of pneumatic massage of the extremities in animals].

Thromboembolism may be considered as the most serious complication in the postoperative period. Due to improvements in anaesthesia and postoperative supervision even those patients who are in a bad state of health may be operated upon. The frequency of postoperative phlebothrombosis, however, has increased in recent years. External pneumatic massage of the extremities will speed up the blood flow in the veins and increase the fibrinolytic activity in the vein wall. In animal experiments we could observe a significant decrease of the thrombus size in artificially produced thrombosis in the vena femoralis of dogs, if after thrombus induction the external pneumatic massage was applied.