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CARDIOVASCULAR ANESTHESIA

Fatal Acute Pulmonary Embolism in a Patient with Pelvic Lipomatosis After Surgery Performed After Transatlantic Airplane Travel

Ognjen Gajic, MD^*, Juraj Sprung, MD PhD, Brian A. Hall, MD, and Deborah J. Lightner, MD

*Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Anesthesiology, and Department of Urology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota

Address correspondence and reprint requests to Juraj Sprung, MD, PhD, Department of Anesthesiology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, 200 First St. S.W., Rochester, MN 55905. Address e-mail to Sprung.juraj{at}mayo.edu

We describe a case of a 37-yr-old patient who traveled from Europe to the United States and succumbed to a massive pulmonary embolism 6 days after elective pelvic surgery despite routine postoperative thrombotic prophylaxis. In retrospect, he was likely to have developed a deep venous thrombosis during the transatlantic trip to our hospital. Anesthesiologists and other physicians involved in perioperative management need to be aware of the prevalence of venous thromboembolism in patients with a history of recent prolonged air travel. This is particularly true in tertiary referral centers, where patients with rare diseases may have a major surgical intervention within days of prolonged air travel.

IMPLICATIONS: Anesthesiologists and other perioperative physicians need to be aware of the prevalence of venous thromboembolism in patients with a history of recent long-haul air travel.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				O. Gajic, D. O. Warner, P. A. Decker, R. Rana, D. L. Bourke, and J. Sprung Long-Haul Air Travel Before Major Surgery: A Prescription for Thromboembolism? Mayo Clin. Proc., June 1, 2005; 80(6): 728 - 731. [Abstract] [PDF]