Haematological considerations in urology: A systematic review

Abstract

Deep venous thrombosis (DVT) remains a serious and common complication of surgical procedures and is therefore an issue of importance for all urologists. In the UK, pulmonary embolism (PE) following DVT in hospitalised patients causes 32,000 deaths each year. DVT and PE represent the outcome of venous thromboembolism (VTE). The total cost for management of VTE in 2005 was approximately ₤640 million. Early risk assessment and optimising modifiable risks are paramount in order to reduce the incidence of VTE. In this article we review common risk factors for VTE and emphasise specific risk factors for urological procedures. The perioperative management of urological patients who are chronically anticoagulated is discussed. We review the literature regarding anticoagulation and its relevance to all urological procedures and mention the problems associated with new anticoagulant agents. All urologists should be familiar with the new range of anticoagulant agents due to the increasing number of patients taking them.

Editorial

“…I’ll start by highlighting the latter two, firstly the review by Osama Abusanad and colleagues on haematological considerations in Urology, 1 which has that unique blend of timeliness, readability and impact as befitting such an important but often neglected aspect of all of our clinical practice. This will, I have no doubt, be of significant use for all of us but particularly so for those preparing for the Fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons (FRCS) (Urol) in a couple of months’ time.…”