Complications Following Total Hip Arthroplasty

Distal deep vein thrombosis (DVT) can range from being asymptomatic, to resulting in long term valvular damage resulting in chronic venous insufficiency. Proximal propagation can result in more serious pulmonary embolism. The overall incidence of DVT, including both radiologically diagnosed asymptomatic DVT and symptomatic DVT, post THA in early studies was reported to be as high as 70% without any form of prophylaxis [15]. Recent sys‐ tematic review of several randomised control trials concerned with DVT prophylaxis has es‐ timated this figure to be around 44% [16]. The recent FOTO study has shown a symptomatic DVT rate of 1.3% in THA patients with extended duration [36 day) chemical prophylaxis [8].