Post pelvic surgery, majority of pulmonary emboli begin as DVT in which area?

Post pelvic surgery, majority of pulmonary emboli begin as DVT in which area?

• A. Pelvis and thighs
• B. Calves
• C. Arms
• D. Neck

Answer: (A)

Pulmonary emboli almost always originate from a deep vein thrombosis in the deep venous system of the lower body, and after pelvic surgery the most likely sites for that clot to form are the pelvic and proximal thigh veins. Stasis, endothelial injury, and a hypercoagulable state created by the surgery promote clot formation in these proximal veins. A clot in the pelvis or proximal thigh is more likely to detach and travel to the lungs than a clot confined to the calf veins, making pelvis and thigh DVTs the common source of emboli in this setting. Leg calf DVTs can embolize too, but proximal DVTs carry a higher risk of significant pulmonary embolism. Upper extremity veins (arms) and neck veins are much less typical sources of emboli in this context, so they’re not the usual origin for PE after pelvic surgery.

Pulmonary emboli almost always originate from a deep vein thrombosis in the deep venous system of the lower body, and after pelvic surgery the most likely sites for that clot to form are the pelvic and proximal thigh veins. Stasis, endothelial injury, and a hypercoagulable state created by the surgery promote clot formation in these proximal veins. A clot in the pelvis or proximal thigh is more likely to detach and travel to the lungs than a clot confined to the calf veins, making pelvis and thigh DVTs the common source of emboli in this setting. Leg calf DVTs can embolize too, but proximal DVTs carry a higher risk of significant pulmonary embolism. Upper extremity veins (arms) and neck veins are much less typical sources of emboli in this context, so they’re not the usual origin for PE after pelvic surgery.