Surgical Treatment for Dvt

DVT, or deep venous thrombosis, is a medical condition that causes blood clots to form in large veins that are located deep inside a patient's body. These clots commonly affect veins in the thighs and lower legs. Pain, swelling and reduced blood flow can occur with this disorder and clots may spread to other parts of the body. Doctors may recommend surgical treatment for severe cases of DVT.

DVT

• A deep venous thrombosis can cause redness, warmth and tenderness in an affected leg. Pain from DVT may become worse when an individual stands or walks. An embolism is a clot that moves through the bloodstream and may become lodged in the locations such as the lungs, heart or brain where a medical emergency can quickly develop. Patients with possible signs of an embolism such as breathing difficulties, chest pain or a loss of consciousness need immediate medical help.

Venous Thrombectomy

• Physicians may treat DVT with a surgical procedure called a venous thrombectomy. The doctor surgically removes a blood clot from a patient's leg vein or uses a surgical tool to break up the clot. People with severe leg pain or serious vein blockage may receive this type of surgery. A patient may receive anticoagulant medication prior to the surgery to thin his blood. Individuals with DVT may wear compression bandages or compression stockings after the procedure to minimize swelling.

Considerations

• A patient may be considered for a venous thrombectomy if other forms of DVT treatment are not successful. Pregnant women with deep venous thrombosis may undergo this type of surgery. People over 65 years of age, individuals with bleeding problems and people with poor kidney function, congestive heart failure or high blood pressure may be more likely to experience complications after surgery. Post surgical complications of a venous thrombectomy may include a stroke, pulmonary embolism or excessive bleeding.

Other Treatments

• Deep venous thrombosis patients may receive intravenous anticoagulant drugs such as heparin or oral anticoagulant medications such as warfarin to reduce clotting in the bloodstream and stop existing clots from getting larger. Patients who cannot take anticoagulant drugs may receive an implanted filter in the vena cava to prevent embolisms from traveling to the lungs. The vena cava is a large abdominal vein. A physician may inject blood clot dissolving medication directly into a deep vein thrombosis during a thrombolysis procedure.

DVT Risk Factors

• People with cancer and women who use birth control pills or estrogen replacement medication have an increased risk of developing a deep venous thrombosis. Travelers who sit for an extended period of time have a greater likelihood of deep vein clot formation than people who frequently stand up and walk. Obese people, cigarette smokers and people who get a lot of bed rest have an increased chance of developing DVT.