Surgery
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Multicenter Study Observational Study
Splenectomy is associated with hypercoagulable thrombelastography values and increased risk of thromboembolism.
Previous investigators have demonstrated that postinjury thrombocytosis is associated with an increase in thromboembolic (TE) risk. Increased rates of thrombocytosis have been found specifically in patients after splenectomy for trauma. We hypothesized that patients undergoing splenectomy (1) would demonstrate a more hypercoagulable profile during their hospital stay and (2) that this hypercoagulable state would be associated with increased TE events. ⋯ This multicenter, prospective study demonstrates that patients undergoing splenectomy have a more hypercoagulable state than other trauma patients. This hypercoagulable state (identified by greater α-angle and mA values) begins at approximately 48 hours after injury and continues through at least day 5. Moreover, this hypercoagulable state is associated with increased risk of TE complications.