Does compression pump compliance after surgery change VTE risk?

Aspirin with pneumatic compression pumps are approved by the American College of Chest Physicians as a routine venous thromboembolism (VTE) prophylaxis. A recent study found that pump compliance was not associated with lower VTE risk and patients with compliance usage >50% experience no increased risk of VTE.

In this randomized trial, patients were treated with aspirin alone (n = 40) or aspirin/mobile compression pumps (n = 40) after total joint arthroplasty was performed.

Compliance with aspirin was >94%, with no difference between groups. In the 2 weeks after being discharged from the hospital, overall pump compliance was 51% and aspiring compliance was 99%.

Throughout the entire recommended period, only 10% were compliant with the recommended >20 hour per day usage.

There were no notable associations between aspirin compliance and VTE and pump compliance and VTE within 90 days.

Average pump use compliance was 20% in patients with VTE and 54% in patients without VTE within 90 days.

Reference
Dietz MJ, Moushmoush O, Frye BM, et al. Randomized Trial of Postoperative Venous Thromboembolism Prophylactic Compliance: Aspirin and Mobile Compression Pumps. J Am Acad Orthop Surg. 2022;30(20):e1319-e1326. doi: 10.5435/JAAOS-D-21-01063. Epub 2022 Jun 29. PMID: 36200820.