Lower extremity surgery, and specifically total hip replacement surgery, increases the risk of deep vein thrombosis. The surgery heightens the body s tendency for coagulation or clotting. In addition, when the leg is manipulated during surgery there may be irritation to the walls of the major blood vessels in the leg. Finally, during and after surgery the lower extremity is not used as much and, therefore, the normal blood flow rate is decreased. The leg muscles usually help venous blood return to the heart when they are used.
Further factors heighten the risk of blood clotting.
Patients contemplating hip replacement surgery therefore need to understand the issues regarding what methods should be used to minimize the chance of deep vein thrombosis. There appears to be no known way to absolutely prevent deep vein thrombosis after total hip replacement surgery. An example of this would be a bleeding complication near the spinal cord because the patient was on a blood thinner medicine. Each of the methods used to diminish risk of DVT has an associated set of risks and benefits. Issues include the expense of the intervention, the convenience, and the ability of a given patient to utilize or comply with their use.