Deep Vein Thrombosis Treatment At pedes Orange County
If you have pain, redness, swelling, warmness, and/or enlarged veins near the surface of the skin, you may be experiencing symptoms of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and need to see a doctor as soon as possible. At Pedes Orange County, we provide a range of treatment options to address the specific nature of your deep vein thrombosis (DVT).
How Is DVT Treated?
DVT treatment ultimately aims to stop the blood clot from getting larger or breaking off and traveling to your lungs. Treatment will also help to prevent the chances of developing additional blood clots.
Medications for Deep Vein Thrombosis
Anticoagulant medications or blood thinners are the most common medications for DVT treatment. Anticoagulants can keep a clot from growing or breaking off. They also prevent new clots from forming. Some of the more popular anticoagulants are dabigatran, rivaroxaban, apixaban, or edoxaban. Doctors recommend taking the drugs for six months.
Procedures
Thrombectomy
Mechanical thrombectomy or thrombectomy is a technique that helps treat blood clots resulting from Deep vein thrombosis (DVT). Doctors use imaging techniques to pinpoint the location of the blood clot.
To begin, a local anesthetic is used to numb the area. Next, a catheter and a clot-removing device gently break up and remove the blood clots. Additionally, an angioplasty will be attached to the end of the catheter. This is a specialized, balloon-like tool that will be used to restore your weakened blood flow. To remove the clot, we will use a another special tool to vacuum the clot from your vein. As a result, optimized blood flow will start to return to your legs. In some cases, the vascular surgeon will insert a stent to keep the blood vessel open. This minimally invasive procedure be done within an hour and does not require you to spend the night in a hospital.
For many patients, a thrombectomy offers immediate benefits, eliminates the need for major surgery, and alleviates painful symptoms. This procedure also provides long-term benefits to your health and dramatically reduces your risk of developing post-thrombotic syndrome. In addition, you are much less at risk for contracting chronic, life-threatening complications that affect your quality of life.
Thrombolytic Therapy/Thrombolysis
Patients diagnosed with more serious cases of DVT are treated with thrombolytic therapy. Here, a specialized agent is used to break down the blood clot. The agents are clot-busters that will help break down the blood clot(s) of your blockage site. During thrombolytic therapy, we will use a guided catheter to inject the thrombolytic agent to the site and close the area of the clot. The catheter is guided by X-ray imaging and delivers the drug to the blood clot. Once the agent is delivered to the area, the agent will reside for some time until the blood clot is broken up. This is a simple, minimally invasive procedure that it will only take an hour. Our vascular surgeon will decide which procedure to use once they receive your diagnostic test results and review your medical history.
IVC Filter Placement And Removal
Blood clots that develop in the veins of the leg or pelvis from deep vein thrombosis (DVT), occasionally break up travel to the lungs. This is called a pulmonary embolism. An inferior vena cava (IVC) filter is a small cone-shaped device implanted just below the kidneys. An IVC filter traps large clot fragments and prevents them from traveling to the heart and lungs. IVC filters are placed in patients who have a history of recurring deep vein thrombosis (DVT), or who are at high embolism risk as an additional “safety net.”
Our surgeon will use IVC filters in patients who cannot be successfully treated through other, less invasive methods- such as blood thinners, a thrombectomy, or thrombolysis. We use state-of-the-art, retrievable filters to give patients the flexibility of leaving the filter in place permanently or removing it from the vena cava after eliminating the risk of an embolism.
What to Expect from Your Visit to Pedes
ULTRASOUND
ULTRASOUND
Your treatment will begin with an ultrasound examination of your veins, arteries, or both, in your legs to diagnose the presence and extent of the disease. Your test results will be immediately available to review with the doctor.
CONSULT
CONSULT
Once we review the results of your diagnostic tests, our physicians will help you develop a plan to provide you with the best treatment for your disease.
TREATMENT
TREATMENT
Depending on the extent of disease in your arteries or veins, our specialists may recommend minimally invasive intervention and/or prescribe medications to help your symptoms.
FOLLOW UP
FOLLOW UP
It is important to make sure that you return for every scheduled follow-up appointment to ensure that your disease is appropriately monitored. If you ever have any questions or concerns, please call or schedule a follow-up appointment with our staff.