DEEP VEIN THROMBOSIS
What is Deep Vein Thrombosis?
Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a serious condition affecting millions of Americans annually and can have significant adverse effects on your health.
DVT occurs when blood clots form within the deep veins, typically found within the leg muscles. These deep veins are surrounded by leg muscles and are located downstream from a large central vein in the abdomen responsible for returning blood flow to the heart and lungs for oxygenation. The direct path from the legs to the heart and lungs makes DVT particularly risky, as it can impact both leg symptoms and critical heart and lung functions.
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Causes of Deep Vein Thrombosis
Blood Flow Stagnation (stasis)
- This can be caused by prolonged periods of inactivity, such as during long plane rides or hospitalization.
- Inactivity decreases the muscle pump activity in your leg muscles, which causes stagnant blood to become clots.
- Inactivity resulting in DVP is more prevalent in elderly people.
Trauma to the Veins
- If a vein is injured in any way, the body responds to form clots to prevent bleeding.
- While this is important if there is an open bleed, the same process can work too well and cause further problems with excessive clotting.
Increased Blood Thickness (hypercoagulable state)
- Family history of blood clots
- Autoimmune diseases, cancer, or infections can increase inflammation in the body, which can thicken blood
- Hormonal changes during pregnancy or from birth control
- COVID-19 infection has been associated with some serious clotting side effects
- Obesity and tobacco use are also risk factors
Symptoms of Deep Vein Thrombosis
Symptoms of blood clots in the legs range from asymptomatic to severe. If the clot is on the smaller side, you may not feel anything and often these clots are found during a medical test for another issue.
With larger clots, you have leg swelling, pain, and discoloration. The most concerning complication of DVT is pulmonary embolism (PE), where a clot breaks off and travels to the lungs, causing chest pain and/or shortness of breath. Large PEs can restrict blood flow to the heart and require emergency treatment to prevent death.
Treatment of Deep Vein Thrombosis
Your Experienced Vascular Team
![Dr. Robert Ballard](https://foxvalleysurgical.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/ballard_Headshot.jpg)
Robert Ballard, MD
![Dr. Alexander Tretinyak](https://foxvalleysurgical.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Dr_Tretinyak_Headshot.jpg)
![Sarah Wilson, MD](https://foxvalleysurgical.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/SarahWilson_Sept2021_forWeb.png)
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