Incidence of deep vein thrombosis in morbidly obese patients undergoing laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass.

BACKGROUND

To define the incidence of deep vein thrombosis in morbidly obese patients undergoing laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass.

METHODS

A retrospective study was conducted for all patients undergoing laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass from 2004 to 2006. The data collected included patient demographics, body mass index, operative time, conversion rate, thromboprophylaxis measures, hospital stay, and complications.

RESULTS

Of the 618 patients included in the study, 451 (73%) were women and 167 (27%) were men, with a mean age of 44 years (range 18-78). The preoperative body mass index was 49 kg/m(2) (range 35-90). All patients received the same thromboprophylaxis regimen. All surgical procedures were performed and completed laparoscopically, with a mean operative time of 93 minutes (range 50-196). All patients underwent lower extremity color Doppler ultrasonography within the first 24 hours after the surgical procedure. The mean hospital stay was 4 days (range 2-21). The most common in-hospital complication was basal atelectasis in 52 patients (8.4%), followed by gastrointestinal bleeding in 10 (1.6%), and anastomotic leak in 6 (1%). The postoperative follow-up visits were done at 2, 8, 12, 24, and 52 weeks after surgery; no mortality occurred. The overall rate of deep vein thrombosis in the group of 500 consecutive patients was .2%, with no clinically significant pulmonary embolism; 9 patients presented with postoperative bleeding.

CONCLUSIONS

The overall rate of deep vein thrombosis in this group of patients was low, most probably because of the use of thromboprophylaxis.