Preferences and Practices of Brazilian Orthopedists for Thromboprophylaxis Techniques in Total Knee Arthroplasty: Survey Among Members of the Brazilian Society of Knee Surgery (SBCJ).

Objective  The present study describes the preferences and current practices of a sample of knee surgeons in Brazil regarding thromboprophylaxis in total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Method  In the present internet survey, surgeons from the Brazilian Knee Surgery Society (SBCJ, in the Portuguese acronym) voluntarily answered an anonymous questionnaire including time of personal surgical experience, perceptions about the best thromboprophylaxis options, and actual practices in their work environment. Results  From December 2020 to January 2021, 243 participants answered the questionnaire. All, except for 3 (1.2%), reported using thromboprophylaxis, and most (76%) combined pharmacological and mechanical techniques. The most prescribed drug was enoxaparin (87%), which changed to rivaroxaban (65%) after discharge. The time of thromboprophylaxis initiation varied according to the length of training of the knee surgeon ( p ≤ 0.03), and their preferences and practices differed according to the Brazilian region ( p  < 0.05) and the health system in which the surgeons work (public or private sector; p  = 0.024). The option for mechanical thromboprophylaxis also depended on the training time of the surgeon. Conclusion  Thromboprophylaxis preferences and practices in TKA are diverse across Brazilian regions and health systems (public or private sectors). Given the lack of a national clinical guideline, most orthopedists follow either their hospital guidelines or none. The mechanical prophylaxis method and the little use of aspirin are the points that most diverge from international guidelines and practices.
Competing Interests: Conflito de Interesses Os autores declaram não haver conflito de interesses.
(Sociedade Brasileira de Ortopedia e Traumatologia. This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commecial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ ).)