This study was conducted to determine the effect of anti-embolism stocking (AES) use protocol affected the development of early venous thromboembolism (VTE) in patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty (TKA).

The randomized controlled single-blind intervention study included 40 patients (Experimental Group: 20, Control Group: 20) who underwent TKA surgery in a university hospital's Orthopedics and Traumatology clinic between 2019 and 2021. While the experimental group received the AES protocol one day before the operation and continued until the 10 th day after the operation, the control group received AES on the 0 th day after the operation and remained in the patient until the 21st day after the operation. In the study, a "Data Collection Form" with DVT and PE signs and symptoms was used.

The study was carried out at a university hospital's Orthopedics and Traumatology clinic. Knee arthroplasty surgery is performed on an average of 85 patients per year in the hospital with a bed capacity of 1200. The Orthopedics and Traumatology clinic has 36 beds and 9 nurses on staff.

In the clinic, LMWH is given to patients who will have knee arthroplasty 12 hours before the procedure. Following knee arthroplasty, an elastic bandage is placed over the dressing on the operated extremity, and AES is only applied to the intact extremity. AES is dressed on both extremities after the elastic bandage is removed. Foot movements begin on the first postoperative day, and patients are mobilized on the first or second postoperative day. Patients are admitted to the clinic for a period of 5-7 days. LMWH application, which began in the preoperative period, continues in the postoperative period for approximately 21 days (until the sutures are removed). The AES usage protocol is not implemented in the clinic, and no training is provided to patients regarding the use of AES by healthcare personnel. After TKA surgery, AES patients are dressed, and it is recommended that they wear them without removing them for 21 days (sutures are removed).

Inclusion Criteria:

• Older than 18 years old,
• No harm in wearing AES,
• Patients who agreed to participate in the study.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Bilateral TKA used patients,
• Having excess leg edema, pulmonary edema, heart failure,
• Having leg ischemia,
• Having skin graft,
• An open wound in the area where AES will be applied,
• Having arterial and venous vessel disease,
• Having neuropathy,
• Having cellulite on the patient's leg to whom AES will be applied,
• Having an infection such as fasciitis or panniculitis,
• Those who declare that they will not use AES for ten days in accordance with the recommendations.

To prevent patients undergoing TKA surgery from being affected by one another, the patients were hospitalized in separate rooms, and the orthopedic clinic team was made aware of the situation. The patients in the control group were told not to remove their socks until the sutures were removed after the operation, whereas the patients in the experimental group were told to remove their socks on the 10th day after the operation, so the patients had no idea which group they were in.