Medicine
Venous Thromboembolism Prophylaxis in Gynecologic Oncology Surgery
Quick fact
Without prophylaxis, up to 30% of women undergoing major gynecologic cancer surgery may develop deep vein thrombosis in the legs, and about 1-2% will suffer a fatal pulmonary embolism. Routine use of a combination of intermittent pneumatic compression and low molecular weight heparin reduces this risk by 70-80%.
Why this is interesting
A woman has surgery for gynecologic cancer, but the real danger after the operation may be a silent clot that can travel to her lungs. What is being done to stop it?