Efficacy and Safety of Subcutaneous Unfractionated Heparin administered every 8 hours for Venous Thromboembolism Prophylaxis in Reconstructive Head and Neck Tumour Patients: A Systematic Review and 6-year Institutional Case Series

Patients with head and neck tumours undergoing free flap reconstructions are at high risk of postoperative venous thromboembolism (VTE). To date, no specific guidelines are available regarding venous thromboembolism prophylaxis in this patient group. This study aims to contribute to this scarcity of information by reviewing the literature regarding anticoagulation regimens in this patient group and evaluating the efficacy and safety of postoperative subcutaneous heparin dosed at 5000 units every 8 hours routinely utilised at our institution.