Thrombosis research
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Thrombosis research · Apr 2014
Review Meta AnalysisEfficacy and safety of weight-adjusted heparin prophylaxis for the prevention of acute venous thromboembolism among obese patients undergoing bariatric surgery: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
The bariatric surgical population is a particularly high risk population for VTE. It is unclear if standard (i.e. non-adjusted) thromboprophylaxis doses of low-molecular weight or unfractionated heparin provide adequate protection for obese patients undergoing bariatric surgery, or if higher doses are required. We sought to determine whether a weight based thromboprophylactic dosing regimen is safe and effective in the post-operative period for obese patients undergoing bariatric surgery. ⋯ Adjusting the dose of heparin products for thromboprophylaxis post-bariatric surgery seems to be associated with a lower rate of in hospital VTE compared to a strategy of not adjusting the dose, although this did not reach statistical significance. This practice does not lead to an increase in adverse major bleeding events.