The Correlation of a D-dimer Testing Protocol With Venous Thromboembolism in Surgical Colorectal Patients

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the use of a D-dimer based protocol to screen for thrombotic events in colorectal surgical patients. This study is unique because of the multistage screening process for DVT's using a standardized D-dimer testing methodology and ultrasound that will take place throughout the preoperative, perioperative, and postoperative processes. The data collected from this screening study will help establish the baseline DVT rates in UTMB's colorectal surgical patients before and after surgery. Additionally, the data from this study can help determine if a D-dimer blood test has predictive value in UTMB's colorectal surgical patient population. This study may also provide preliminary evidence for further research regarding the adjustment of D-dimer cutoff values. Specifically for patient subsets such as surgical colorectal patients with a moderate pretest probability and clinical conditions associated with low test specificity