The long-term outcome of proximal vein thrombosis during pregnancy is not improved by the addition of surgical thrombectomy to anticoagulant treatment

Abstract

To compare the long-term outcome for pregnant/puerperal women with iliofemoral venous thrombosis treated either with thrombectomy and additional anticoagulants or with anticoagulants alone. Retrospective study of two treatment methods. Thirty women with iliofemoral venous thrombosis during pregnancy or puerperium were treated with thrombectomy and additional anticoagulants. Twenty-five women, with the same condition, treated with anticoagulants only were obtained from a registry. The mean follow-up time for both groups was 9 years. The patients of the two groups were well matched, had the same risk factor score and were comparable except for duration of symptoms before treatment. The follow-up comprised history and clinical examination, colour Duplex ultrasound and venous strain-gauge plethysmography. Patency of iliac veins, symptoms of chronic venous disease, venous emptying and venous reflux did not differ between the groups. A significant reduction of outflow was found in 20% of the surgically treated patients and 16% of the controls. Impaired muscle pump function was seen in less than half of the patients in both groups. Surgical thrombectomy does not offer any advantage over anticoagulation treatment alone in the long-term outcome for patients with iliofemoral venous thrombosis during pregnancy or puerperium.