Sixty consecutive patients undergoing lumbar laminotomy or laminectomy underwent preoperative and postoperative compression ultrasonography of the lower extremities to detect acute deep venous thrombosis (DVT). Compression stockings were the only method of prophylaxis. Three patients (5%) developed postoperative calf DVT. Despite continued treatment with only compression stockings, serial scanning failed to detect propagation of the thrombus proximal to the knee in any patient. The average age of patients who developed DVT, 62 years, was significantly greater (P<.05) than the age of patients who did not, 45 years. There were no statistically significant differences in DVT rates when compared by: sex, addition of one- or twolevel fusion, length of procedure, or number of days of bedrest.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.