Deep Venous Thrombosis and Pulmonary Embolism After Minimally Invasive Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion: Report of 2 Cases in 315 Procedures.

When the guidelines of the North American Spine Society concerning deep venous thrombosis (DVT) prophylaxis were followed, only 2 (0.63%) of 315 patients with minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusions developed DVT complications over a 9-year period. Based on these findings, mechanical DVT prophylaxis appears to be adequate in patients undergoing elective spinal surgery, with no current support for pharmacologic prophylaxis.