02.18.14
“The prevention of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE) after orthopaedic surgery remains a controversial and challenging issue,” said Clifford Colwell, M.D., in comments regarding his study on a mobile compression device used to prevent DVT after hip and knee arthroplasty. The study, which appeared in a February issue of the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, found that the device was just as effective as blood thinners in preventing DVT after lower extremity joint replacement surgery, without negative side effects including bleeding complications.
Colwell, a Scripps Clinic orthopedic surgeon, led the multicenter study that evaluated the efficacy of a mobile compression device that is small and portable enough for patients to use at home for 10 days or longer after joint replacement surgery.
“Blood thinners have long been considered the standard of care to prevent blood clots after orthopedic surgery, but they can have side effects that are concerning for many patients,” said Colwell. “Through this research we have found and established an equally effective means of accomplishing the same goal with an added layer of safety for patients.”
From April 1 to Sept. 20, 2011, 10 medical centers in the United States participated in a registry to collect data on the occurrence of DVT in 3,000 patients who used the mobile compression device after surgery. The rate of DVT in patients who used the compression device was consistent with the rate of DVT in similar patient populations who were prescribed blood thinners, which is approximately 1 percent.
What orthopaedic surgeons are looking for is a prophylactic modality that is effective, acceptable to patients, has minimal side effects, and is cost-effective,” said Colwell. “Prophylactic modalities can be split broadly into chemical (drugs) or mechanical. Chemical prophylaxis has dominated but is associated with bleeding and wound complications that have been underrepresented in the orthopaedic literature. In this study, Colwell et al. aimed to demonstrate that a new mobile foot pump device is at least as good as the currently accepted chemical prophylactic regimens after primary hip and knee arthroplasty, without the bleeding complications.”
The device used during the study was the ActiveCare+S.F.T. made by Medical Compression Systems Inc., designed to deliver compressions to the leg that coordinate with a patient’s respiration rate thereby improving blood flow. The manufacturer of the device funded the registry used in the study but did not have any role in the development of the registry design or protocol. The authors did not receive compensation for their role in the study.
Colwell, a Scripps Clinic orthopedic surgeon, led the multicenter study that evaluated the efficacy of a mobile compression device that is small and portable enough for patients to use at home for 10 days or longer after joint replacement surgery.
“Blood thinners have long been considered the standard of care to prevent blood clots after orthopedic surgery, but they can have side effects that are concerning for many patients,” said Colwell. “Through this research we have found and established an equally effective means of accomplishing the same goal with an added layer of safety for patients.”
From April 1 to Sept. 20, 2011, 10 medical centers in the United States participated in a registry to collect data on the occurrence of DVT in 3,000 patients who used the mobile compression device after surgery. The rate of DVT in patients who used the compression device was consistent with the rate of DVT in similar patient populations who were prescribed blood thinners, which is approximately 1 percent.
What orthopaedic surgeons are looking for is a prophylactic modality that is effective, acceptable to patients, has minimal side effects, and is cost-effective,” said Colwell. “Prophylactic modalities can be split broadly into chemical (drugs) or mechanical. Chemical prophylaxis has dominated but is associated with bleeding and wound complications that have been underrepresented in the orthopaedic literature. In this study, Colwell et al. aimed to demonstrate that a new mobile foot pump device is at least as good as the currently accepted chemical prophylactic regimens after primary hip and knee arthroplasty, without the bleeding complications.”
The device used during the study was the ActiveCare+S.F.T. made by Medical Compression Systems Inc., designed to deliver compressions to the leg that coordinate with a patient’s respiration rate thereby improving blood flow. The manufacturer of the device funded the registry used in the study but did not have any role in the development of the registry design or protocol. The authors did not receive compensation for their role in the study.