The Effect of Deep Vein Thrombosis Prophylaxis on Bleeding in Periorbital Surgery in Trauma Patients.

The aim of this study is to assess if there is an increase in postoperative venous thromboembolism (VTE) or bleeding complications in patients who received perioperative chemical thromboprophylaxis compared with patients in whom chemical thromboprophylaxis was held during periorbital trauma surgery. This is a retrospective chart review of patients undergoing periorbital surgery treated in three different city hospitals, by the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University of Texas, between August 2014 and December 2016. A total of 237 patients were included in this study. None of these patients suffered a postoperative VTE. A total of 102 patients received perioperative pharmacologic thromboprophylaxis in the form of enoxaparin or heparin. In this group, one patient suffered a buccal space hematoma. Chemical thromboprophylaxis was held in 135 patients preoperatively and for at least 24 hours postoperatively. In this group, one patient suffered a retrobulbar hematoma after repair of an orbital floor fracture. The rate of postoperative bleeding complications was compared by the chi-square test and was not statistically significant (  = 0.8417).