Venous Thromboembolism in Plastic Surgery Patients

This Continuing Medical Education article provides a comprehensive review of venous thromboembolism (VTE), which includes deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolus, in plastic surgery patients. The 2005 Caprini score, a validated and useful clinical tool, can often predict percentage-based VTE risk, and can always be used as a jumping off point for consideration of patient-centric VTE risk. VTE risk can be considered using the paradigm of risk identification, risk modification, and risk reduction during the preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative time points. A thoughtful approach to VTE can decrease, but never eliminate, risk in the plastic surgery population.