Suppurative thrombophlebitis surgery

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]

Surgical treatment of suppurative thrombophlebitis is considered in cases that do not respond to antimicrobial therapy. Incision and drainage, or excision of the affected vein and its tributaries may be considered during the surgical settings.^[1]

• For peripheral veins suppurative thrombophlebitis, usually incision and drainage, or excision of the affected vein and its tributaries is the procedure, but sometimes they are inadequate alone to remove the septic focus and recurrent bacteremia can occur; in such cases, radical vein excision may be needed.^[2][3]

• For Lemierre’s syndrome, surgical ligation or excision of the internal jugular vein may be used, along with drainage of pulmonary abscesses or empyema if present.^[4]

• In cases of vena cava suppurative thrombophlebitis, surgical excision or ligation is not possible, and the used procedure is thrombectomy if the thrombus shows propagation despite antibiotic and anticoagulation therapy.^[2]

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