Clinical analysis of 8 cases of venous thromboembolism after spinal surgery

Objective To analyze the clinical data of patients with venous thromboembolism (VTE) after spine surgery, and discuss the diagnosis and treatment. Methods A retrospective analysis was performed on the clinical manifestations, diagnosis methods, treatment processes, and outcomes, which involved 8 cases of VTE after spinal surgery, who received theraphy at the department of spinal surgery of the Affiliated Hospital of Medical School of Ningbo University from January 2010 to December 2017. Combined with the relevant literature on VTE prevention, the epidemiology and prophylactico-therapeutic measures of VTE after spinal surgery were elaborated. Results In this group, there were 8 patients who suffered VTE after spinal surgery. Among these patients, 4 cases suffered single symptomatic deep venous thrombosis (DVT), and 1 case suffered single symptomatic pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE), while the other 3 cases suffered symptomatic PTE and asymptomatic DVT. The overall incidence of VTE was 0.47% (8/1 699). Four patients with symptomatic DVT were cured and discharged after anticoagulation, thrombectomy, thrombolysis, and inferior vena cava filter implantation. Of the 4 patients with PTE, 1 patient was died because of fatal PTE, and the other 3 patients were cured and discharged after thrombolysis and anticoagulation. Conclusion Although the incidence of VTE after spinal surgery is relatively low, once it happens, the consequences are serious. Therefore, it is necessary to increase the awareness of prevention of VTE, improve preoperative assessment of risk factors, and establish VTE prevention and control systems. The risk assessment and graded prevention model of VTE after spine surgery should be improve in order to provide theoretical basis for the VTE prevention in the future.