Impact of routine preoperative sonographic screening with early intervention for deep venous thrombosis in lower extremities on preventing postoperative venous thromboembolism in patients with gastric cancer scheduled for minimally invasive surgery

Langenbecks Arch Surg. 2022 Mar;407(2):597-608. doi: 10.1007/s00423-021-02315-5. Epub 2021 Sep 1.

Abstract

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the clinical efficacy of lower-extremity ultrasonography screening with early intervention for deep venous thrombosis (DVT) on the incidence of venous thromboembolism (VTE) after minimally invasive surgery (MIS) for gastric cancer (GC).

Methods: Between January 2012 and December 2019, 1070 patients were diagnosed with both clinical and pathological stage I-III GC and underwent MIS at our institution. Routine ultrasonographic screening for DVT in lower extremities is performed before MIS. Patients diagnosed with DVT were preoperatively administered anticoagulant therapy. Enoxaparin was routinely administrated after surgery irrespective of the presence of DVT. The incidence of postoperative symptomatic VTE was examined retrospectively.

Results: A total of 74 (6.9%) patients were preoperatively diagnosed with DVT. Multivariate analyses revealed that age > 70 years (p = 0.015), female sex (p < 0.001), and positive serum D-dimer test (p < 0.001) were significant and independent risk factors for preoperative DVT. The incidence of symptomatic postoperative VTE was 1 (0.09%); symptomatic VTE developed in one patient among patients without DVT, whereas no patient with DVT developed VTE.

Conclusions: Preoperative DVT screening using lower-extremity ultrasonography followed by preoperative anticoagulant therapy should be considered as a useful strategy to safely perform MIS for GC without increasing the incidence of VTE.

Keywords: Gastric neoplasm; Minimally invasive surgery; Pulmonary embolism; Ultrasonography; Venous thromboembolism.

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Early Detection of Cancer / adverse effects
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Incidence
  • Lower Extremity
  • Male
  • Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures / adverse effects
  • Pulmonary Embolism* / complications
  • Pulmonary Embolism* / epidemiology
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Risk Factors
  • Stomach Neoplasms* / complications
  • Stomach Neoplasms* / surgery
  • Ultrasonography / adverse effects
  • Venous Thromboembolism* / diagnostic imaging
  • Venous Thromboembolism* / etiology
  • Venous Thromboembolism* / prevention & control
  • Venous Thrombosis* / diagnostic imaging
  • Venous Thrombosis* / etiology
  • Venous Thrombosis* / prevention & control