Venous Thromboembolism (VTE) Rates Following the Implementation of Extended Duration Prophylaxis for Patients Undergoing Surgery for Gynecologic Malignancies

The most common preventable cause of hospital death in the United States is venous thromboembolism (VTE). The risk of VTE among women undergoing major surgery for gynecologic cancer can be substantially reduced by use of postoperative VTE prophylaxis consisting of subcutaneous unfractionated heparin or low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) and mechanical prophylaxis. Evidence-based guidelines from several national organizations recommend that patients undergoing abdominal or pelvic surgery for malignancy receive this VTE prophylaxis regimen for up to 28 days postoperatively. Despite these recommendations, VTE prophylaxis is widely underused in this patient population.