Status of perioperative venous thromboembolism (VTE) prophylaxis in gastrointestinal surgery based on national clinical database (NCD) data in Japan

To investigate the current status of perioperative venous thromboembolism (VTE) prophylaxis in gastrointestinal surgery in Japan.

We reviewed data on eight gastroenterological procedures from the Japanese National Clinical Database (NCD), accrued between 2018 and 2020. Patient characteristics, prophylactic methods, postoperative bleeding, cardiac arrest, and postoperative mortality rate within 30 days were retrieved.

Despite recommendations, approximately 30% of patients did not receive VTE prophylaxis, suggesting a lack of awareness. Pharmacological prophylaxis was associated with a higher incidence of VTE than mechanical or no prophylaxis for all procedures. Combined prophylaxis resulted in a lower incidence of VTE than pharmacological prophylaxis alone. Pharmacological prophylaxis was also associated with an increased incidence of bleeding events. The risk of cardiac arrest and death was higher in patients with pulmonary embolism (PE), but there was a trend toward lower mortality in the group that received pharmacological prophylaxis.

Pharmacological prophylaxis for VTE was limited in reducing the incidence of VTE, but it may reduce the risk of death. Combining pharmacological and mechanical prophylaxis tended to be more effective for preventing VTE than either method alone. Conversely, pharmacological prophylaxis may increase the risk of bleeding.