Deep Vein Thrombosis in Indian Cancer Patients Undergoing Major Thoracic and Abdomino-Pelvic Surgery.

The aim of the study was to determine the incidence of postoperative deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in Indian patients undergoing surgery for thoracic and abdomino-pelvic malignancies. A prospective observational study was conducted in a tertiary care cancer centre in North India. Two hundred and fifty consecutive patients who underwent curative surgery for thoracic and abdomino-pelvic malignancies during the period March 2014 to March 2015 were enrolled in the study. Perioperative pharmacological antithrombotic prophylaxis was not prescribed to any of the patient as per the institutional protocol. All the patients underwent colour duplex ultrasound of the bilateral lower limbs - preoperatively to determine the baseline status, and on 7th and 28th day postoperatively to look for presence of DVT. None of the patient in the study cohort showed clinical or radiological evidence of lower limb deep vein thrombosis. Our study suggests very low incidence of deep vein thrombosis in Indian patients undergoing surgery for thoracic and abdomino-pelvic malignancy.