Blood clots, specifically deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism, are common complications following certain total joint replacement surgeries, such as total hip arthroplasty and total knee arthroplasty.
The National Blood Clot Alliance conducted an online survey of 200 US orthopedic surgeons who perform hip and knee replacements. The mean procedure volume for these surgeons was 76 procedures per year.
Here are six findings from the survey on THA/TKA and blood clots:
1. Ninety-nine percent of surgeons reported routine use of DVT and PE prevention practices for most THA/TKA patients.
2. Around 71 percent of surgeons preferred using AAOS guidelines for DVT and PE prevention.
3. Approximately 97 percent of respondents reported they provide DVT risk information to THA/TKA patients all or most of the time.
A separate survey polled 250 patients who had undergone THA/TKA surgery within 12 months of the survey and found:
4. Around 71 percent and 79 percent had not heard of DVT or PE, respectively, when the specific terms were used.
5. THA/TKA patients say orthopedic physicians and healthcare providers provide information about blood clot risk (80 percent) and consequences of blood clot formation (74 percent), but patient awareness is low.
6. Sixty-three percent of THA/TKA patients said they did not receive additional information or referral to additional information from clinicians about blood clot risks related to THA/TKA surgery.