Femoral vs. Caval Interruption for Venous Thromboembolism

Abstract

AS hospitalized patients in increasing numbers survive a multiplicity of other medical and surgical crises, pulmonary embolism continues as a chief immediate cause of death. Although anticoagulant suppression of intravascular clotting has provided effective protection from embolism in innumerable cases, in many clinical settings, venous ligation above the thrombus, as proposed by Homans1 in 1939, is the treatment of choice.Situations Favoring Venous InterruptionIn addition to patients manifesting coagulation defects or established bleeding lesions, the embolic failures of adequate anticoagulant therapy and those having repeated thromboembolic episodes are prime candidates for venous interruption. On surgical services recent operation on . . .