Joseph A Caprini
BACKGROUND: Approximately 900,000 cases of deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism occur annually in the United States, and one-third lead to the patient's death. A variety of surgical factors contribute to Virchow's triad of venous stasis, vascular injury, and hypercoagulability, including intraoperative venous distension and microvascular endothelial damage. Patients also may have individual risk factors such as a history of thromboembolism, cancer, advanced age, or a genetic trait linked to hypercoagulation...
January 2010: American Journal of Surgery