[The risk of thromboembolism in prosthetic surgery of the hip, and its prevention by administration of individualized heparin dosages].

After hip replacement, thromboemboli remain a very frequent and severe complication. Different techniques of prevention have been described but there is no pharmacological method of definitively proving the effectiveness of such techniques. The use of low-dose heparin has been recommended, but owing to the variable results obtained in this type of surgery, certain authors prefer using an individualized dose. The authors report their experience with this regimen in 30 patients with certain individual thromboembolic risk factors who underwent hip arthroplasty. Despite these cases of deep vein thrombosis, no symptomatic pulmonary emboli were diagnosed. There were two patients with hematomas at the iliac crest which resolved without sequelae after drainage. The different rules to be followed for prevention of these complications are analyzed; the authors underscore the need for individual adaptation of the heparin dose.