Risk factors for VTE post-spine surgery identified

(HealthDay)—There are multiple independent risk factors for the development of deep venous thrombosis (DVT) and/or pulmonary embolism (PE) after spine surgery, according to a study published in the Oct. 1 issue of Spine.

Andrew J. Schoenfeld, M.D., from William Beaumont Army Medical Center in El Paso, Texas, and colleagues utilized the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program data set (2005 to 2011) to identify 27,730 individuals who underwent spine surgery. Data pertaining to demographics, medical comorbidities, surgical characteristics, and the presence of DVT, PE, and/or mortality were extracted.

The researchers noted 87 deaths (0.3 percent) in the cohort (average age, 56.4 years). Two hundred six individuals sustained a DVT and 113 developed a PE (a venous thromboembolic rate of 1 percent). Significant independent predictors of DVT included a body mass index of ≥40 kg/m², age 80 years and older, operative time exceeding 261 minutes, and American Society of Anesthesiologists classification 3 or higher. Development of PE was associated with a body mass index of ≥40 kg/m², operative time exceeding 261 minutes, and male sex.

"Patients with these characteristics may require additional counseling, procedural modification or prophylaxis against venous thromboembolic events," the authors write.