[Prevention of thromboembolism complications with low molecular weight heparin in microneurosurgical lumbar intervertebral disk operations].

In a prospective randomized study the effect of low-molecular-weight heparin (one injection of 1500 a PPT-Units/d Mono-Embolex NM) was compared with the effect of unfractionated heparin (5000 IU t.i.d.) in 200 patients undergoing micro-neurosurgical lumbar disc operations. Criteria of evaluation were lethal pulmonary embolisms, clinical signs of pulmonary embolisms, confirmed by radioisotopic lung scans, and major bleeding complications. The present investigation demonstrates, that a single daily subcutaneous injection of Mono-Embolex NM is an effective and well tolerated measure against thrombo-embolic complications, at least equal to the established low dose heparin prophylaxis with 5000 IU t.i.d.