Effectiveness of leg compression in preventing venous stasis.

To compare the ability of intermittent calf compression with that of sequential leg compression to prevent venous stasis, the clearance time of radiopaque dye, as determined by sequential phleborheograms performed on anesthetized patients, were compared. Calf compression was superior to no compression in clearing the dye from the calf alone, but did not aid clearance from the rest of the leg. Sequential leg compression was superior to intermittent calf compression in clearing dye from the calf and popliteal areas. Since intermittent leg compression has been as effective as small-dose heparin therapy in preventing postoperative deep venous thrombosis [7], the use of sequential leg compression may prove to be more effective and have less complication than heparin administration.