Pulmonary thromboembolism due to superficial venous thrombophlebitis in upper limbs after cosmetic breast plastic surgery: report of 3 cases

Abstract

Superficial thrombosis and thrombophlebitis of the upper limbs are frequent and often underestimated diseases. We report three patients in the postoperative cosmetic breast plastic surgery period who presented thrombophlebitis in the upper limbs and who evolved with pulmonary thromboembolism. All patients had a typical clinical picture, with Doppler ultrasound evidence of thrombosis/superficial phlebitis of the upper limbs and absence of lesions in the lower limbs and an increase in D-dimer and evidence of pulmonary embolism by computed tomography or pulmonary scintigraphy. The three cases evolved with improvement after anticoagulation and without sequelae.

Keywords

• thrombophlebitis
• thrombosis
• pulmonary embolism
• augmentation mammoplasty
• postoperative complications
• thromboembolism
• venous thromboembolism