Prophylactic Modalities: Pharmacologic and Mechanical Compression

Patients following total hip and knee replacement are at high risk for the development of deep venous thrombosis and pulmonary embolism. Therefore, prophylaxis for thromboembolism is mandatory and should be utilized routinely following joint replacement surgery. Currently, no single method of prophylaxis is ideal and, therefore, a multimodal approach is most prudent. This review details the currently available pharmacologic and mechanical types of prophylaxis and also highlights the multimodal approach that we employ at our institution, which encompasses preoperative, perioperative, and postoperative prophylaxis techniques.

Keywords: thromboembolic disease prophylaxis, total knee replacement, total hip replacement, deep venous thrombosis, pulmonary embolism