Deep vein thrombosis is a severe condition that happens when a blood clot forms in a vein located deep in your body. Deep vein thrombosis clots mostly form in your lower legs, but they can also occur in other body areas. The common DVT symptoms include swelling and cramping pain in the affected leg, and skin over the affected area may turn pale, reddish, or bluish. DVT can be life-threatening if the blood clots break off and travel to your lung’s blood vessels, causing a pulmonary embolism. Your San Antonio PICC Line placement specialists can diagnose DVT through MRI, CT scan, or venography. There are various treatments for deep vein thrombosis, including:
Anticoagulant medications
Anticoagulant medications prevent clots from growing and reduce the risks of embolism. Heparin and warfarin are two anticoagulants used to treat DVT. Heparin has an immediate effect, so doctors often administer it first through a few injections lasting less than one week. Your doctor will recommend warfarin oral tablets for three to six months to prevent your DVT from recurring.
Thrombolysis
Doctors use thrombolysis on patients with severe DVT that needs emergency care. The treatment involves your doctor administering drugs known as thrombolytics or clot busters to break down your clots. Your doctor administers these drugs directly into the site of your clot through a small catheter or tube. Thrombolysis can lead to excessive bleeding, so doctors only use this technique in emergencies. During thrombolysis treatment, you must stay in your medical facility for several days under your doctor’s monitoring to ensure your clot breaks down properly.
Compression stockings
When you have DVT, the small valves inside your veins can be damaged, causing swelling. Swelling may occur because DVT blocks blood flow in your vein. Compression stockings improve or completely relieve your leg swelling. They exact gentle pressure on your legs, improving blood circulation. Your doctor may recommend you wear compression stockings for two or more years. Studies show that compression stockings reduce pain and leg swelling by at least fifty percent if you wear them correctly.
Inferior vena cava (IVC) filter
Doctors perform an inferior vena cava filter under local anesthesia. The procedure involves your surgeon inserting an IVC filter through a catheter into a large vein in your groin or neck and then into the vena cava. If blood clots in your leg veins break off and move, the IVC is designed to prevent large blood clots from getting into your lungs, causing pulmonary embolism. The IVC filter prevents pulmonary embolism but does not prevent more blood clots from forming.
Surgery
Your healthcare provider can suggest surgery to remove the DVT clot in your arm or leg. Doctors mostly use surgery if you have very large clots or your clots are causing severe problems like tissue damage. Surgery involves your specialist cutting into a blood vessel, locating the lump, and then removing it. The specialist then repairs the incised vessel and tissue.
Deep vein thrombosis is a severe condition that happens when a blood clot forms in a vein located deep in your body. Your doctor can treat DVT through medications, thrombolysis, inferior vena cava filter, compression stockings, or surgery. Schedule an appointment at the i-VASCULAR center for deep vein thrombosis treatment to prevent life-threatening conditions.
