Timing Matters: Postoperative VTE Follows Different Timelines Across Surgical Specialties.
Over half of postoperative venous thromboembolism cases are diagnosed after hospital discharge.
Timing Matters: Postoperative VTE Follows Different Timelines Across Surgical Specialties.
The incidence and timing of postoperative venous thromboembolism (venous thromboembolism) across surgical specialties remains unclear.
This study aimed to evaluate the incidence and temporal pattern of venous thromboembolism among a nationally representative cohort of surgical patients.
We analyzed data from the 2022 American College of Surgeons-National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (American College of Surgeons-National Surgical Quality Improvement Program).
Of a total of 525 726 patients, 0.8% developed venous thromboembolism within 30 days of the index operation, with surgical oncology having the highest rate (3%), followed by colorectal surgery (2%).
The median [IQR] time to venous thromboembolism diagnosis was 9[4-16] days.
Plastic surgery held the highest percentage of post-discharge venous thromboembolism diagnosis at 77%, but longest median time to diagnosis (10.5 days).
The temporal pattern of postoperative venous thromboembolism varies substantially across surgical specialties.
More than half of venous thromboembolism events occurred after hospital discharge, with considerable differences in the length of time between surgery and diagnosis between groups.
These findings suggest that postoperative venous thromboembolism risk and temporal trends are influenced by specialty-specific perioperative practices, highlighting the need for tailored surveillance and prevention strategies.