High variability in VTE risk across abdominal surgery procedures, impacting thromboprophylaxis decisions

The study conducted systematic reviews and meta-analyses to estimate procedure-specific risks of symptomatic venous thromboembolism (VTE) and major bleeding after various types of abdominal surgery. They found that the risk of VTE varied widely among different procedures, with laparoscopic cholecystectomy having the lowest median risk (<0.1%) and emergency open total proctocolectomy having the highest median risk (10.0%). The use of pharmacological thromboprophylaxis provided net benefit in some procedures but not in others, emphasizing the importance of individual risk prediction and preferences in decision-making.