Okuda Y, Kitajima T, Egawa H, Hamaguchi S, Yamaguchi S, Yamazaki H. Ido K.
A combination of heparin and an intermittent pneumatic compression device may be
more effective to prevent deep-vein thrombosis in the lower extremities after
laparoscopic cholecystectomy.
Surg Endosc 2002 May;16(5):781-4

Department of Anesthesiology, Dokkyo University School of Medicine, Mibu, Tochigi
321-0293, Japan. y-okuda@dokkyomed.ac.jp

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to clarify the effect of a combination
of heparin and an intermittent pneumatic compression device on thrombogenesis and
platelet activation in the upper and lower extremities after laparoscopy.
METHODS: A blinded study was performed on 30 patients. Patients were randomly
injected with either heparin or physiological saline solution (PSS)
subcutaneously. The intermittent compression boot was used during surgery. Plasma
D-dimer (D-D), a marker of thrombogenesis, and b-thromboglobulin (b-TG), a marker
of platelet activation, were measured in the upper and lower extremities.
RESULTS: In the heparin group, D-Ds in the upper and lower extremities increased
significantly 24 h after surgery, but they were significantly lower than those of
the PSS group. b-TG in the lower extremities of patients in the PSS group
increased significantly 24 h after surgery. CONCLUSION: A combination of
low-molecular-weight heparin and intermittent pneumatic compression may be more
effective to prevent deep-vein thrombosis in the legs.