Surgeon-performed ultrasound in the ICU setting

Evaluation of critically ill patients is often challenging due to altered sensorium, underlying disease, and the presence of multiple drains or monitoring devices. In such circumstances, the ability of physicians to perform ultrasound examinations in the intensive care unit provides a useful diagnostic and therapeutic adjunct. In this article,we review the application of surgeon-performed ultrasonography in the evaluation and management of critically ill patients.     

Bedside intravascular ultrasound-guided vena cava filter placement

OBJECTIVE: Several reports have demonstrated the efficacy of inferior vena cava filter (IVCF) placement with intravascular ultrasound guidance (IVUS). The majority of these procedures,however, have been done in concert with contrast venography and/or fluoroscopic guidance. The purpose of this report was to evaluate the potential for bedside IVCF placement with "real-time" IVUS guidance only. DESIGN OF STUDY: In a phase I trial, 10 patients underwent IVUS interrogation of the IVC for diameter measurements and localization of the renal veins. Contrast venography verified the IVUS findings prior to filter deployment. In a phase II trial, another 35 patients underwent intensive care unit bedside placement of an IVC filter with only "real time" IVUS guidance using a double puncture technique in the same femoral vein. All patients underwent color-flow ultrasonography of the femoral veins after filter placement to rule out post procedure femoral vein thrombosis and plain radiographs of the abdomen to identify filter location. RESULTS: In the phase I trial, all filters were placed within 15 mm of the most inferior renal vein identified by IVUS. There were no complications, and successful filter placement was verified by contrast venography. In phase II, 33 IVCFs were placed without complications at approximately the L2 level by plain radiograph. One patient had an IVCF deployed in the common iliac vein, which necessitated placement of an uneventful second IVCF at the infrarenal location by IVUS. This same patient had a femoral deep venous thrombosis identified by postoperative duplex ultrasonography. A second patient had IVC thrombus identified by IVUS, and placement was performed with contrast venography in the fluoroscopy suite. IVC measurements ranged from 18-28 mm in diameter. CONCLUSIONS: IVUS accurately measures the IVC diameter and localizes the renal veins, allowing for exact placement of IVCFs. IVUS further avoids the need for contrast agents and for transport of critically ill patients. Bedside insertion of an IVcF with IVUS guidance is simple, safe, and accurate. Further assessment of this technique is warranted.     

Progression of superficial venous thrombosis to deep vein thrombosis

Purpose: We have evaluated the progression of isolated superficial venous thrombosis to deep vein thrombosis in patients with no initial deep venous involvement.Methods: Patients with thrombosis isolated to the superficial veins with no evidence of deep venous involvement by duplex ultrasound examination were evaluated by follow-up duplex ultrasonography to determine the incidence of disease progression into the deep veins of the lower extremities. Initial and follow-up duplex scans evaluated the femoropopliteal and deep calf veins in their entirety; follow-up studies were done at an average of 6.3 days, ranging from 2 to 10 days.Results: From January 1992 to January 1996, 263 patients were identified with isolated superficial venous thrombosis. Thirty (11%) patients had documented progression to deep venous involvement. The most common site of deep vein involvement was progression of disease from the greater saphenous vein in the thigh into the common femoral vein (21 patients, 70%), with 18 of these extensions noted to be nonocclusive and 12 having a free-floating component. Three patients had extended above-knee saphenous vein thrombi through thigh perforators to occlude the femoral vein in the thigh, three patients had extended below-knee saphenous disease into the popliteal vein, and three patients had extended below-knee thrombi into the tibioperoneal veins with calf perforators. At the time of the follow-up examination all 30 patients were being treated without anticoagulation.Conclusions: Proximal saphenous vein thrombosis should be treated with anticoagulation or at least followed by serial duplex ultrasound evaluation so that definitive therapy may be initiated, if progression is noted. More distal superficial venous thrombosis should be carefully followed clinically and repeat duplex ultrasound scans performed, if progression is noted or patient symptoms worsen. (J Vasc Surg 1996;24:745-9.)     

Real-time intravascular ultrasound-guided placement of a removable inferior vena cava filter

BACKGROUND: Reports have demonstrated the benefit of prophylactic inferior vena cava filter (IVCF) placement to prevent pulmonary embolism. This series evaluates the potential for the bedside placement of a removable IVCF under "real-time" intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) guidance. METHODS: Twenty trauma patients underwent intensive care unit placement of a removable IVCF with IVUS guidance. All patients had ultrasonography of the femoral veins after placement to rule out postprocedure femoral vein thrombosis and radiographs to identify filter location. RESULTS: Nineteen of 20 IVCFs were placed at approximately the L2 level as verified by radiography. One patient had a large IVC (34 mm) and underwent bilateral common iliac IVCF placement under IVUS. Within 3 weeks of placement, 12 IVCFs were retrieved. Of the remaining eight patients, six had indications for permanent implantation, two had contralateral deep venous thrombosis, and one had ipsilateral deep venous thrombosis. CONCLUSION: Bedside insertion of a removable IVCF with IVUS guidance and its removal are simple, safe, and accurate.     

Surgeon-performed ultrasound in the critical care setting: its use as an extension of the physical examination to detect pleural effusion

BACKGROUND: Critically ill surgical patients are often difficult to assess for complications because of their altered sensorium, multiple monitoring devices, and immobility. Surgeon-performed ultrasound may enhance the physical examination of these patients and provide for an early detection of select complications. We hypothesized that a focused thoracic ultrasound examination could reliably detect a pleural effusion and the results could be used in the decision matrix for patient care. METHODS: Serial focused thoracic ultrasound examinations were performed by a surgeon and a medical student on critically ill patients. The medical student learned select facets of the physical examination and then demonstrated how ultrasound imaging could enhance these findings. Ultrasound images were recorded on hard copy and videotape, with the results available to the surgical intensive care unit and surgery teams. The images were reviewed and compared with the chest radiograph readings. RESULTS: Forty-seven patients underwent 140 ultrasound examinations. There were 85 true-negative, 46 true-positive, 9 false-negative, and zero false-positive examination results, yielding an 83.6% sensitivity, 100% specificity, and 94% accuracy. Of the 46 true-positive results, thoracentesis was performed or a thoracostomy tube was placed in 5 patients. Nine false-negative ultrasound examinations occurred in six patients, five of whom had their effusions detected on computed tomographic scans. CONCLUSION: A focused thoracic ultrasound examination reliably detects pleural effusions in critically ill patients, and the results can be used successfully in the decision matrix for patient care.     

Thrombosis in unusual sites of the lower extremity veins

BACKGROUND: Thrombosis in unusual locations in the lower extremity veins has not been assessed. These veins are not imaged routinely and therefore information about them is lacking. METHODS: This study was designed to evaluate the natural history of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in unusual sites. Patients with DVT in all thigh veins but the femoral vein were included. Patients with thrombi in any other vein in the first examination and those with history of DVT were excluded. Duplex ultrasound (DU) examination was performed to exclude thrombosis in the lower extremity in patients with signs and symptoms of venous thromboembolism and also in high-risk, asymptomatic patients. All veins from the distal external iliac vein to the lower calf were imaged. The deep femoral, femoropopliteal, lateral thigh, sciatic, and muscular thigh veins were examined. These patients were followed at 1 week, 1 month, 6 months, 1 year, and yearly thereafter, for thrombus propagation, resolution, and reflux. RESULTS: Among the 15,850 DU performed in the vascular laboratory at Loyola University Medical Center, in a 10-year period to rule out DVT, 2568 (16.2%) were positive and 14 cases (7 males, 0.54% among the patients with DVT and 0.088% among the entire population) involved thromboses in unusual locations. Ten cases involved the left lower extremity and four the right. The unusual DVT cases were associated with medical and surgical conditions or were idiopathic in 11 patients, whereas three had Klippel-Trenaunay syndrome (KTS). The veins involved in the first group of patients were the deep femoral (8), the femoropopliteal (2), and the deep external pudendal (1). The patients with KTS had involvement of muscular thigh veins (1), and the lateral thigh vein and the sciatic vein (2). Thrombi propagation with extension to the common femoral vein was seen in four of the 14 patients: two from the deep femoral vein, one from the femoropopliteal vein, and one from the deep external pudendal vein. There were two incidences of pulmonary embolism (PE) one of which was fatal. At final follow-up, two patients developed recurrent DVT and nine had signs and symptoms of chronic venous disease. CONCLUSIONS: The involvement of the studied veins in DVT is extremely rare. Thrombosis in these veins can follow the natural course of thrombosis in the more usual locations and is associated with lethal incidences of PE. Therefore, the association of these veins with all the grave sequelae of thromboembolic disease suggests that inclusion of these veins in routine lower extremity duplex scans would be beneficial.     

Serial duplex ultrasound examinations for deep vein thrombosis in patients with suspected pulmonary embolism

Purpose: We have prospectively evaluated the need for serial venous duplex ultrasound examinations in an inpatient population with an initially normal study result.Methods: Patients were selected for study on the basis of clinical suspicion of pulmonary embolism and possible lower extremity deep vein thrombosis, a comorbid condition contributing to a nondiagnostic ventilation/perfusion lung scan, and an initially normal bilateral venous duplex ultrasound examination that included complete evaluation of the femoropopliteal system and the deep calf veins. Repeat duplex examinations were done during the same hospital admission between 5 and 14 days after the initial study.Results: Ninety-four patients with an initially normal duplex ultrasound examination result had repeat studies done at an average of 7.9 ± 2.6 days. Ninety-two examination results remained normal bilaterally. Two patients had isolated intramuscular calf vein deep vein thrombosis: one in the gastrocnemius system of both calves with associated calf tenderness at 11-day follow-up and one in a mid-calf soleal vein without associated symptoms at 10 days. No patients had any evidence of deep vein thrombosis in the femoropopliteal or tibioperoneal venous systems.Conclusions: Serial follow-up duplex ultrasound evaluation is unnecessary after an initially complete, normal study in patients with symptoms who have suspected pulmonary embolism and nondiagnostic ventilation-perfusion lung scans. (J Vasc Surg 1996;24:732-7.)     

Proximal extent of pelvic vein thrombosis and its association with pulmonary embolism

OBJECTIVE: Conventional methods such as duplex ultrasound scanning do not provide accurate information about proximal extension of pelvic vein thrombosis. We evaluated proximal extent of thrombus toward pelvic veins with magnetic resonance imaging in patients with suspected deep vein thrombosis (DVT) proximal to the inguinal ligament on the basis of duplex ultrasound scans. In addition, frequency of pulmonary embolism (PE) and early (4 weeks) clinical outcome were evaluated. METHODS: Two hundred twelve patients with acute symptomatic DVT proximal to the inguinal ligament, diagnosed at duplex ultrasound scanning, were enrolled in this prospective study. All patients underwent magnetic resonance imaging of the abdominal and pelvic veins, as well as lung scintigraphy to detect the presence of pulmonary embolism. RESULTS: In 24 of 212 patients (11%), thrombus was restricted to the femoral vein. The thrombus extended into iliac veins in 142 patients (67%) and into the inferior vena cava in 46 patients (22%). The frequency of PE was not associated with the most proximal extension of thrombus (P =.61). No patients died as a consequence of thromboembolic events. CONCLUSIONS: Extension of DVT into the inferior vena cava occurs relatively frequently. In our patients this finding was not associated with higher risk for PE compared with DVT of the femoral or iliac veins.     

Duplex Venous Imaging: Role for a Comprehensive Lower Extremity Examination

Real-time compression ultrasound (CU) along with venous duplex imaging is the most commonly performed noninvasive vascular examination. It has become the definitive diagnostic test for most patients with deep venous thrombosis (DVT). Some practioners have recommended that CU alone of the common femoral vein (CFV) and of the popliteal vein (PV) are all that is required since a complete examination is time consuming and calf veins are difficult to visualize. However, if only the CFV and PV are examined, all patients with isolated superficial femoral vein (SFV) and calf DVT remain undiagnosed. The purpose of this study is to establish the value of a comprehensive venous duplex examination compared to CFV and PV compression alone for detecting both proximal and infrapopliteal DVT. From January 1996 through December 1997, the initial venous duplex examinations of 5767 extremities in 3067 patients were reviewed and results tabulated according to presence and location of clot. The ATL 3000 with a 7-14 mHz probe was utilized. Studies were interpreted as normal, proximal DVT (popliteal and above, with or without calf DVT), isolated calf, or isolated SFV deep venous thrombosis. If only the CFV and PV had been examined, 30.3% (isolated SFV + isolated calf vein DVT) of all DVT and 4.5% of proximal DVT would have been missed. A complete venous duplex examination altered the care in 288 (30.3%) of all patients examined who had DVT, and is therefore recommended as the standard noninvasive examination when evaluating patients for acute DVT.     

成人重症患者深静脉血栓医护一体快速筛查流程的构建

目的 探讨适合我国成人重症患者深静脉血栓快速筛查的流程,为血栓预防护理提供参考。方法 应用循证护理方法,针对成人重症患者深静脉血栓筛查流程提出问题,进行系统检索、证据提取等,形成成人重症患者深静脉血栓医护一体筛查的证据;通过2轮焦点小组访谈确定成人重症患者深静脉血栓医护一体快速筛查流程。结果 形成的成人重症患者深静脉血栓医护一体快速筛查流程包括风险评估、超声筛查、深静脉血栓预防、管理与质控4个步骤。结论 本研究构建的成人重症患者深静脉血栓医护一体快速筛查流程,可用于成人重症患者深静脉血栓风险筛查。     

成人重症患者深静脉血栓医护一体快速筛查流程的构建

目的 探讨适合我国成人重症患者深静脉血栓快速筛查的流程，为血栓预防护理提供参考。方法 应用循证护理方法，针对成人重症患者深静脉血栓筛查流程提出问题，进行系统检索、证据提取 等，形成成人重症患者深静脉血栓医护一体筛查的证据；通过2轮焦点小组访谈确定成人重症患者深静脉血栓医护一体快速筛查流程。结果 形成的成人重症患者深静脉血栓医护一体快速筛查流程包括风险评估、超声筛查、深静脉血栓预防、管理与质控4个步骤。结论 本研究构建的成人重症患者深静脉血栓医护一体快速筛查流程，可用于成人重症患者深静脉血栓风险筛查。     

Lack of compressibility of the common femoral vein: an unequivocal sign of proximal deep venous thrombosis on duplex ultrasound?

The authors report a case of false positive diagnosis of iliac vein thrombosis on duplex ultrasound.The misreading of the duplex scan was based on the presence of an incompressible common femoral vein. External compression on the iliac veins, caused by enormous postoperative lymphoceles, was responsible for the false positive diagnosis.     

床旁超声在股骨颈骨折患者围手术期下肢深静脉血栓筛查中的作用

目的探讨床旁超声在老年股骨颈骨折患者血栓筛查的应用价值。 方法回顾性收集2016年1月至2017年3月南京大学医学院附属鼓楼医院运动医学与成人重建外科收治的股骨颈骨折患者,术前常规用床旁超声行双下肢深静脉检查,观察血管内径、血栓部位、血栓回声以及血流情况。所有术前血栓患者于术后行常规随访观察。 结果共纳入135例患者,男性45例,女性90例;平均年龄（76±8）岁,平均身体质量指数为（22±3）kg/m²。术前共发现血栓45例,其中近端血栓7例,远端血栓38例。根据血栓累及部位,其中累及髂静脉1例,股静脉4例,腘静脉4例,腓静脉5例,胫后静脉3例,肌间静脉血栓40例。13例血栓患者暂停手术并接受治疗,治疗期间彩超隔日观察血栓溶解情况,其中经治疗好转10例,血栓无变化2例,加重1例,2例在术前置入下腔静脉滤器。术后彩超观察中,3例术前血栓患者在术后观察中发现进展至其他静脉,均及时接受抗凝治疗并通过床旁彩超随访,未见有血栓脱落以及肺栓塞形成。 结论床旁超声可用于股骨颈骨折患者血栓的诊断、监测及随访。     

Patterns of venous insufficiency after an acute deep vein thrombosis

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to investigate patterns of venous insufficiency during a 12-month period after an acute deep vein thrombosis. STUDY DESIGN: Seventy limbs in 67 patients with an acute deep vein thrombosis (DVT) involving 147 anatomic segments were evaluated with duplex scanning at 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year. Venous segments were examined whether they were occluded, partially recanalized, or totally recanalized, and the development of venous reflux was evaluated. RESULTS: The segments investigated were the common femoral vein (38 segments), femoral vein (33 segments), popliteal vein (36 segments), and calf veins (40 segments). There were 35 limbs with isolated DVT and the remaining 35 had multisegment DVT. At 1 year, thrombi had fully resolved in 76% of the segments, 20% remained partially recanalized, and 5% were occluded. The venous occlusion was most predominant in the femoral vein (21%) at 1 year. On the contrary, rapid recanalization was obtained in calf veins than in proximal veins at each examination (p < 0.01). Deep vein insufficiency was detected as early as 1 month after development of DVT, and the reflux was most predominant in popliteal veins (56%), followed by femoral veins (18%). No reflux was found in calf veins. Multisegment DVTs had a significantly higher incidence of deep vein insufficiency than single segment DVTs at 1 year. Development of superficial venous insufficiency was found in 5 limbs (7%) and perforating vein insufficiency in 5 (7%). CONCLUSIONS: Lower extremity venous segments showed different proportions of occlusion, partial recanalization, and total recanalization. Calf veins showed more rapid recanalization than proximal veins. Venous reflux was noted as early as 1 month. The limbs involving multisegment DVTs on initial examination had a higher incidence of deep vein insufficiency and could require much longer followup studies.     

Prospective screening for deep vein thrombosis in high risk patients

Doppler ultrasound screening of deep vein thrombosis has been carried out in four high risk groups of surgical patients, including those undergoing total hip replacement, gastric bypass for morbid obesity, major abdominal surgery, and major amputation of the lower extremity. None of these groups of patients received prophylactic anticoagulation. There was a 4 per cent incidence of deep vein thrombosis in 101 patients undergoing total hip replacement. Only one of the fifty-eight patients undergoing gastric bypass suffered a postoperative venous thrombosis. None of the sixty-three patients undergoing major abdominal surgery or the thirtyfive patients undergoing amputation developed venous thrombosis. Doppler ultrasound is a simple, rapid, accurate noninvasive technic for prospective screening of high risk patients for deep vein thrombosis. Such a program may be a useful alternative to routine prophylaxis of patients at risk of venous thromboembolic disease.     

Bedside Placement of Removable Vena Cava Filters Guided by Intravascular Ultrasound in the Critically Injured

BACKGROUND: Bedside placement of removable inferior vena cava filters (RVCF) is increasingly used in critically injured patients. The need for fluoroscopic equipment and specialized intensive care unit beds presents major challenges. Intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) eliminates such problems. The objective of the present study was to analyze the safety and feasibility of IVUS-guided bedside RVCF placement in critically injured patients. METHODS: Between October 2004 and July 2006 47 IVUS-guided RVCF were placed at the bedside. Medical and trauma registry records were reviewed. Primary outcome was RVCF-related complications. RESULTS: The mean patient age was 41 +/- 19 years, and the mean Injury Severity Score was 30 +/- 12. The right common femoral vein was chosen as the site of access in 40 patients, and the left common femoral vein was the access site in 7 patients. The insertion was performed 3.7 +/- 2.5 days after admission. Four patients (8.5%) developed common femoral deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and three (6%) developed a peripheral pulmonary embolism (PE). Complications related to technique were recorded in two patients (4%) and included one misplacement and one access site bleeding with no further associated morbidity. Five patients died during the hospital stay from issues unrelated to RVCF. Forty-one patients were eligible for follow-up. Removal of RVCF was offered only to 8 patients and was performed successfully in 4 (10%) at a mean of 130 days (range: 44-183 days). CONCLUSIONS: In this study IVUS-guided bedside placement of RVCF was feasible but was also associated with complications. Follow-up was poor, and the rate of removal disappointingly low, underscoring the need for further exploration of the role of RVCF.     

Pattern and distribution of thrombi in acute venous thrombosis.

The location and extent of thrombosis in the deep venous system will determine immediate and long-term outcome. During the past 3 years, we have studied by duplex scanning 833 patients with suspected deep vein thrombosis. In this group, 209 patients (25%) had a positive study. The findings relative to location and extent of involvement are as follows. (1) The right leg was involved in 35% of patients, the left leg in 48%. Bilateral involvement was noted in 17%. (2) The veins most frequently affected by deep vein thrombosis were as follows: superficial femoral in 74%, popliteal in 73%, common femoral in 58%, posterior tibial in 40%, deep femoral in 29%, greater saphenous in 19%, and the inferior vena cava in 2%; multisegment involvement was common. (3) Total occlusion was present in 82% of the patients with deep vein thrombosis, and partial occlusion in 18%. (4) Isolated occlusion of single veins was uncommon. (5) The proximal (above-knee) area was involved in 95% of the cases with deep vein thrombosis, and the calf in 40% of the cases. Isolated calf deep vein thrombosis was found in 6% of the cases with right leg involvement and in 3% for the left. (6) Total leg involvement (iliocaval, femoropopliteal, and calf) occurred in 10% of the patients. Our data confirm the fallibility of the clinical diagnosis of deep vein thrombosis. The frequent involvement of both limbs stresses the importance of not examining just the symptomatic limb. Proximal venous thrombosis (popliteal to inferior vena cava) is much more common than isolated calf vein thrombosis as a cause for symptoms and the referral for study.     

Utility of portable continuous-wave Doppler examination in screening for postoperative deep vein thrombosis

BACKGROUND: Early and accurate diagnosis of post-surgical deep vein thrombosis (DVT) can be difficult and time-consuming, even with duplex ultrasonography. Portable continuous-wave Doppler ultrasonography may be useful in screening patients for postoperative DVT. Further confirmation of Doppler-positive cases by duplex ultrasound might then be more cost-effective. METHODS: All major post-surgical patients from the departments of general surgery, orthopaedic surgery and colorectal surgery were screened on the third postoperative day for DVT by assessing the quality of the flow signal ("whoosh") obtained by placing the probe over the femoral vein and subsequently over the popliteal vein, both with a distal squeeze, as well as assessment of phasic flow with respiration. An absent or attenuated "whoosh" was judged to be suspicious for DVT and required formal duplex ultrasonography. The first 800 consecutive patients were studied to determine the sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of portable Doppler ultrasonography for DVT screening. RESULTS: Twenty-four cases of DVT were diagnosed, comprising seven cases in the proximal veins and 17 cases in the calf veins. The sensitivity of Doppler ultrasonography was 12.5% and the specificity was 96.8%. The positive and negative predictive values were 10.7% and 97.3%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Portable Doppler ultrasonography does not have adequate accuracy to be used as a quick screening tool for DVT.     

B-mode ultrasound scanning in the detection of proximal venous thrombosis after total hip replacement

A prospective study of the accuracy of real-time B-mode ultrasonography in detecting deep venous thrombosis in the femoral and popliteal veins of the lower extremity was conducted on a consecutive series of patients who had had a total hip replacement. Ascending venography was used as a diagnostic standard. One hundred and forty-three patients had ultrasound studies of both lower extremities and a venographic study of the operatively treated lower extremity at an average of 7.6 days postoperatively. The two tests were done within twenty-four hours of each other. Both ultrasonography and venography were done on 152 extremities. Two paired studies were excluded from the analysis of results because the ultrasound scans could not be interpreted. In 131 extremities, both diagnostic tests were negative for proximal thrombosis. Eight extremities had isolated thrombosis of a vein in the calf that was detected only by venography. In nineteen extremities, old or fresh thrombosis was diagnosed by venography. In four extremities, an old thrombosis of the superficial femoral vein was detected by both studies. In four of the extremities that had a new thrombus in the common femoral vein and in nine that had a new thrombus in the superficial femoral vein, abnormal findings on ultrasound scans correlated with those on venograms. There were two false-negative ultrasound scans and one false-negative venogram. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of ultrasonography were 89, 100, and 99 per cent for the diagnosis of thrombosis of the proximal veins of the lower limb and 63, 100, and 93 per cent for the diagnosis of thrombosis when the entire venous system of the limb was included.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Renal allograft loss due to proximal extension of ileofemoral deep venous thrombosis

Renal allograft recipients with thrombophilic (hypercoagulable) states are at higher risk for early allograft loss. Presumably, the combination of endothelial injury at surgery and thrombophilia predisposes to arterial or venous thrombosis. Of 270 consecutive renal transplants at our center one allograft failed secondary to renovascular thrombosis. At exploration the iliac and renal veins were thrombosed. Thrombectomy and re-implantation were attempted, but unsuccessful. Also noted at surgery was extensive clot in the femoral vein that could not be removed by embolectomy catheters. Post-operatively, a Doppler ultrasound confirmed the presence of extensive deep venous thrombosis (DVT) in the femoral and popliteal veins. The adherent nature of this clot, the extent of clot found less than 12 h after renal transplantation and the absence of leg edema suggested that the DVT existed prior to surgery. This case demonstrates that a pre-existing, asymptomatic DVT can precipitate allograft thrombosis and highlights the importance of diagnosing thrombophilia in patients undergoing renal transplantation. Current practices in our unit have evolved to include screening for thrombophilia in all patients with a suggestive history. As thrombophilic states are increasingly appreciated in the end-stage renal disease population, effective management of these patients while on hemodialysis and at the time of renal transplantation presents an ongoing challenge.