Experience of King Abdullah Medical City in Placement of Inferior Vena Cava Filter Prior to Bariatric Surgery in Extremely High-Risk Patients for Thromboembolic Events

Abstract

Introduction: Bariatric surgery is used to treat morbid obese patients. Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is considered to be one of the leading causes of postoperative morbidity and mortality. Therefore, inferior vena cava filter (IVCF) is used to minimize the risk of VTE in high-risk patients. Materials and Methods: Medical information was collected for the preoperative, operative and postoperative stages for all patients underwent bariatric surgery at KAMC from March 2013 to July 2017. Results: Five cases with IVCF were included in this study. Age ranged from 35 to 66 years old; 4 (80%) were female. Preoperative body mass index ranged from 42 to 64 kg/m2. Postoperative findings were reported. Conclusion: IVCF seems to be beneficial for patients undergoing bariatric surgery.