The incidence of deep vein thrombosis in prostatectomised patients following the administration of the fibrinolytic inhibitor, aminocaproic acid (EACA).

Forty patients undergoing prostatectomy for benign prostatic hypertrophy were included in a double blind trial of epsilon aminocaproic acid, and the incidence of postoperative deep vein thrombosis determined, using 125I-fibrinogen technique. There was no significant difference between the groups, the overall incidence of abnormal scans being 50 per cent, but of the patients undergoing enucleative prostatectomy 68 per cent developed significant scan findings compared with 33 per cent following transurethral surgery.