Intermittent Sequential Pneumatic Compression as a Prophylaxis for Postoperative Pulmonary Embolism

Toshiki Mimura, Hirokazu Yamaguchi, Nobuyuki Shimizu, Atsushi Kaneda, Hidemitsu Yasuda, Shigeru Sakai, Shu Kuramoto, Michio Kaminishi, Mitsuru Yamakawa, Takeshi Oohara

The Third Department of Surgery, University of Tokyo

Pulmonary embolism (PE) is a rare but extremely important postoperative complication because it is often lethal when it does occur. Therefore, prophylaxis for PE such as low dose heparin (LDH), low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) and intermittent sequential pneumatic compression (ISPC) has been generally carried out in the West. Fully realizing the importance and ncesssity of prophylaxis for PE in Japan, we have adopted ISPC for 56 surgical patients with gastroenteological diseases (ISPC group), who are supposed to belong to a high risk group for deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and PE. We compared them with 126 patients without ISPC (non-ISPC group) in frequency of DVT or PE. ISPC is a device to massage the lower limbs mechanically with pneumatic boots and prevent the formation of a deep vein thrombus. Each one patient suffered from DVT in the ISPC group (1.8%) as well as the non-ISPC group (0.8%). No PE occurred in the ISPC group, while two patients were attacked with PE in the non-ISPC group (1.6%). Although this showed no statistically significant difference in frequency of DVT and PE, ISPC can be an effective prophylactic device for both DVT and PE as well as a safe and convenient one.

Key words
postoperative pulmonary embolism, prophylaxis, intermittent sequential pneumatic compression

Reprint requests
Toshiki Mimura The Third Department of Surgery, University of Tokyo
3-28-6 Mejirodai, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 112 JAPAN

Accepted
January 8, 1997

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