DVT Treatment: Blood Thinners, Filters and Clot Removal

Overview

Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a clot in a deep vein, often in the leg or arm. Some people have no symptoms. New swelling, pain, tenderness, warmth or redness in one leg or arm needs urgent medical assessment for a possible deep vein blood clot. Contact a healthcare professional immediately for urgent assessment; if prompt assessment is unavailable, go to an emergency department. Do not wait for a routine appointment.

A serious condition

This condition is highly dangerous because blood clots can break free in your veins, travel through your bloodstream and clog your lungs (pulmonary embolism). DVT, however, does not automatically lead to pulmonary embolism.
Deep vein thrombosis can occur if your blood clots is differently due to certain medical conditions.
It can also occur due to long periods of immobility, like following a surgery or accident.

DVT symptoms

DVT clots typically form in the legs or thighs; however, they may form anywhere else in your body. Thromboembolism, post-thrombotic syndrome, and postphlebitic are all terms associated with this condition.
Around half of the people with DVT experience symptoms. Symptoms can include:
• One-sided swelling of your foot, ankle, or leg
• Acute pain in the affected foot starting in your calf.
• Unusual pain in your feet and ankles
• The affected area feels warmer compared to surrounding skin
• Pale or bluish skin over the affected area

Call a doctor

New swelling, pain, tenderness, warmth or redness in one leg or arm needs urgent medical assessment for a possible deep vein blood clot. Contact a healthcare professional immediately for urgent assessment; if prompt assessment is unavailable, go to an emergency department. Do not wait for a routine appointment. Call 911 now for sudden unexplained difficulty breathing, new chest pain, coughing up blood, or fainting. These may be signs of a pulmonary embolism or another emergency. Do not drive yourself or wait for an office callback or online appointment response.

DVT Causes

DVT can be caused by anything that interferes with blood flow or accelerates clotting. Infection
or injury to a vein can also result in DVT.

DVT Risk factors

Many factors can increase your risk of DVT. The DVT Risk factors include:
• Old age
• Pregnancy
• Prolonged sitting
• Injury
• Surgery
• Heart failure
• Genetics

DVT Treatment

New swelling, pain, tenderness, warmth or redness in one leg or arm needs urgent medical assessment for a possible deep vein blood clot. Contact a healthcare professional immediately for urgent assessment; if prompt assessment is unavailable, go to an emergency department. Do not wait for a routine appointment. Call 911 now for sudden unexplained difficulty breathing, new chest pain, coughing up blood, or fainting. These may be signs of a pulmonary embolism or another emergency. Do not drive yourself or wait for an office callback or online appointment response.

DVT treatment options include:

Medication

Blood thinners such as heparin, warfarin, enoxaparin, and fondaparinux can prevent the formation or expansion of clots.

Compression stockings

You may be less likely to develop clots if you wear compression stockings.

Filters

If you cannot take blood thinners, a filter might need to be placed inside your large abdominal vein. In this form of treatment, clots are stopped from entering the lungs, which helps prevent
pulmonary embolisms.

DVT surgery

DVT clots in the arm or leg may be removed by surgery. Usually, the surgery, surgical thrombectomy, is reserved for removing clots that have caused serious issues, such as tissuedamage.To carry out the procedure, the specialist will make an incision into the affected blood vessel.Upon finding the clot, they’ll remove it. After that, they’ll repair the vessel and the affected tissue.The risks of this procedure include infection, blood vessel damage, and excessive bleeding.WASHINGTON Vascular Specialists provide comprehensive vascular care that is comfortable, affordable, and individualized to each patient’s needs. Leading-edge therapeutic innovations,doctor-patient collaboration, and minimally invasive solutions are the building blocks of our care.For non-emergency follow-up after urgent assessment, or to discuss an established diagnosis or risk factors without new symptoms, contact WVS about scheduling. Appointment requests are not a way to obtain emergency care.