Mechanical thromboprophylaxis is sufficient to prevent the lower extremity deep vein thrombosis after kidney transplantation

Purpose: Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a severe and common complication that occurs after the major operation. Despite the commonality of DVT there is limited data on the incidence of DVT after kidney transplantation (KT). Furthermore, most studies have been retrospective in design and were conducted in western countries. The aim of this study was to evaluate the incidence of lower extremity DVT with mechanical thromboprophylaxis within 1 month of KT in Korea. Methods: A total of 187 consecutive patients who underwent KT were included in this study. Patients used a graduated elastic stocking (n = 93) or an intermittent pneumatic compression device (n = 94) to prevent DVT. The frequency of DVT during the first month after KT was evaluated using serial color duplex ultrasound on postoperative days 7 +/- 2, 14 +/- 2, and 28 +/- 3. All patients were tested for eight thrombophilic factors before KT. Results: DVT occurred in four patients (2.1%) during the first month after KT. All DVT developed in the graduated elastic stocking group. Interestingly, none of the patients had the factor V Leiden mutation or the prothrombin gene 20210A mutation. Conclusion: The incidence of DVT in this study was relatively lower than that of western populations. We did not encounter a factor V Leiden mutation or a prothrombin gene 20210A mutation in our study population. These findings suggest that inherited thrombophilic risk factors may be partially responsible for the difference in DVT incidence rates between different nationalities and/or ethnicities.