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Boston, MA (May 1, 2021) - A new study presented today at the AATS 101st Annual Meeting, found that the percentage of patients undergoing esophagectomy for cancer who suffer Venous Thromboembolism (VTE) post-operatively is much higher than previously reported, with as many as 24 percent suffering from Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) or Pulmonary Embolism (PE). Six-month mortality for patients with VTE was 17.6 percent compared to 2.1 percent for those without.
Venous Thromboembolism (VTE) is a common, potentially preventable post-operative complication leading to significant morbidity and mortality. Esophagectomy patients are amongst the highest risk groups for VTE due to disease burden, magnitude of surgery and high rate of perioperative morbidity. The study aimed to quantify the true incidence of VTE post esophagectomy, associated risk factors, and the impact of VTE on patients outcomes.
‘Don’t make decisions based on fear, make decisions based on information.’
April 22, 2021
A healthcare worker administers a COVID-19 vaccine from Humber River Hospital’s mobile vaccination clinic. (Photo: Cole Burston/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
While provinces across Canada are lowering the age of eligibility for AstraZeneca from 55-plus to 40-plus, the vaccine’s link to extremely rare blood clots may still be a source of hesitancy for many women.
Reports of the vaccine-related clots emerged in early March, with most of the cases in Europe involving women under the age of 55. Canada’s first four cases out of more than 1.1 million doses of vaccines administered popped up in April: a Quebec woman over the age of 55; a man from Alberta and a man from Ontario, both in their 60s; and an individual in New Brunswick in their 30s. All of them received the AstraZeneca vaccine.