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Background Deep vein thrombosis (DVT), usually asymptomatic, is common after total hip arthroplasty (THA). Post-thrombotic syndrome (PTS) is a potential late complication of DVT, but there is limited data on its occurrence.Patients and methods This was a prospective cohort study of subjects at one hospital who had participated in a trial of thromboprophylaxis for THA and who had postoperative venography. Data were collected at baseline and 2-4 years later to ascertain symptoms of PTS using a modification of a validated scoring system. Outcomes were collected without knowledge of baseline characteristics or venogram results. Potential predictors of PTS were explored using exact logistic regression analyses.Results The cohort (n = 188) had a mean age of 63 years, 51% were male, 35% had a BMI of > 30, and 4% had a prior history of DVT. 25 patients (13%) had DVTs on venography. 12 patients (6%, 95% CI: 3-11) subsequently developed symptoms consistent with PTS, 7 with bilateral symptoms. Most affected limbs (15 of 19) had no postoperative DVT. No statistically significant predictors of PTS were found.Interpretation Symptoms of PTS are infrequent after THA in patients who receive some form of thromboprophylaxis. Our findings, which are consistent with the existing literature, suggest that there is a potential benefit to giving thromboprophylaxis for reduction of symptomatic PTS.

There were incidences of 0.7% severe and 5.5% mild complications in 1,971 direct puncture carotid angiograms done over a 5-year period. In 1,035 retrograde branchial angiograms, there was a 0.6% incidence of severe, and a 4.7% incidence of mild, complications. Complications tended to increase with increasing age of the patient. Brachial angiography is virtually free of life-threatening complications, and the incidence of neurological sequelae was markedly less than that shown by a comparable analysis of catheter angiography. Of patients undergoing 1,542 fractional pneumoencephalograms, 2 had severe complications.

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