The risk of thrombotic events in patients with primary versus secondary hepatic malignancies who are undergoing surgical resection
15178 Background: The increased risk of thromboses is well documented in patients with malignancies, and those undergoing abdominal surgery. Furthermore, patients requiring hepatic resection for underlying malignant disease have been reported to be at increased risk for thrombotic complications. However, guidelines for thromboprophylaxis in this patient population are still under investigation. A cursory review performed at our institution determined the incidence of thrombotic events to be comparable to that reported in the literature. We, therefore, went further to study if there was a difference in the risk of thromboses between those undergoing resection for primary hepatic cancer, versus metastatic disease. Methods: We performed a retrospective chart review of patients undergoing surgical resection for hepatic malignancies. The primary end point was to determine whether there was a difference in the incidence of thrombotic events between primary and secondary malignancies. Results: A total of 99 patients at our institution underwent surgical resection for either primary or secondary hepatic malignancies in the past 5 years. There were 7 patients who developed thrombotic events within three months of their resection. Of these patients, all 7 underwent resection for secondary hepatic malignancies. Based on the nature of this study, and its lack of standardized thromboprophylaxis, statistical analysis was not performed. Conclusions: Patients undergoing surgical resection of hepatic malignancies appear to be at increased risk of thrombotic events, and may require more specific standardization of their thromboprophylaxis. Furthermore, based on our observation it appears those associated with metastatic disease may derive an even greater benefit from this. Future prospective studies will be required to evaluate this difference in thromboses, and to better define the guidelines for thromboprophylaxis. No significant financial relationships to disclose.