[Prevention of thromboembolic complications during total hip arthroplasty by pre- and postoperative heparinotherapy with adapted doses. Apropos of 356 cases].

From January 1980 to July 1987, a continuous series of 356 total hip replacement underwent preventive treatment of subcutaneous Heparin, prescribed in adapted doses, both before and after surgery, and relayed at the 7th postoperative day by Ethyl Biscoumacetate. This medication was continued for 45 days. Modern methods of detection were used to detect thromboembolic complications: up to the 7th day radioactive labeled Fibrinogen and, at the slightest hint of problem, phlebocavography of the lower limbs. The established procedure made it possible to lower significantly the rate of phlebothromboses to 14 cases (3.9%) of which 3 (0.8%) developed non lethal pulmonary embolisms. The surgical site revealed an hematoma in 5% of the case, of which 1.4% had to be subjected to a surgical relief. Of the 4 deaths observed in this series, two resulted from the anticoagulant preventive method. The biological monitoring disclosed a lasting fall in the Antithrombin III in the three days following the operation and significant drop in the coagulation tests between the 4th and 6th day in the case of the patients who were to develop a thromboembolism.