Post-operative deep vein thrombosis incidence in Nigerians.

In 450 consecutive Nigerian patients aged 20 and above undergoing elective surgery, the incidence of post-operative deep vein thrombosis using clinical methods was 2.2 per cent. Of these 333 were men and 5 had deep vein thrombosis giving an incidence of 1.5 per cent while 117 were females and 5 had deep thrombosis giving an incidence of 4.3 per cent. This figure is low and appears to agree with the current opinion that post operative deep vein thrombosis is comparatively rare in Africans. This is in contrast to the view expressed by Nwokolo and Ikoku (1967) that thromboembolic disease is more common in Nigeria than in East and Central Africa.