Low-dose heparin prophylaxis in herniorrhaphy? A prospective trial in bleeding complications.

Low-dose heparin (L.D.H.) prophylaxis gives good protection against deep venous thrombosis (D.V.T.). In the case of subjects presenting for herniorrhaphy the literature is less unanimous regarding the chance of wound hematoma. In this prospective randomised, matched trial in 86 patients, a wound hematoma incidence of 36 percent was noted in the treatment group as against 7% in the control group. This is statistically significant at the P less than 0.001 level.