Postoperative Thromboembolism in Gynecologic Oncology Patients. Still a Lethal but Preventable Complication

Background: Gynecologic oncology patients are considered high risk for venous thromboembolic events (VTE), which, despite advances in prevention and management, remain a common cause of morbidity and mortality. Methods and findings: Several clinical trials in gynecologic and general surgery, both for benign and malignant conditions, have addressed the issue of risk assessment and appropriate thromboprophylaxis. This review focuses on epidemiology, risk stratification and preventive measures in patients undergoing surgery for genital tract malignancies. A literature search using PubMed, MEDLINE, and Cochrane search engines was performed using predefined data fields. Conclusion: Thromboprophylaxis is of utmost importance in this group of patients. Patients’ compliance and optimal implementation of the existing available measures could further reduce VTE events in patients with gynecologic malignancies.