Deep Vein Thrombosis

A blood clot forming in one of the deep veins in the body, usually in the legs, is called deep vein thrombosis (DVT). Deep vein thrombosis can happen due to age, prolonged periods of sitting, pregnancy, obesity, underlying health issues, blood disorders, and recent injury to a vein. Deep vein thrombosis can happen due to age, prolonged periods of sitting, pregnancy, obesity, underlying health issues, blood disorders, and recent injury to a vein.

Diagnosis

A qualified vein doctor performs a physical examination and will ask you for a complete medical history while noting your symptoms and the appearance of your legs. Our vein specialist will confirm any suspicions of DVT with an ultrasound, review the results with you, and discuss the best treatment options based on your individual needs and goals.

Treatment

Treatments for deep vein thrombosis depend on the severity of the deep vein disease. The most common treatment is anticoagulants or blood thinners. There are also newer treatments for acute DVT that can be performed if done early. A minimally invasive treatment that is gaining popularity is mechanical pharmacolysis or thrombolysis, which is the use of special catheters to inject drugs to dissolve the blood clot.

If there is compression or narrowing of the vein, then angioplasty or stenting of the diseased segment is preferred. This is performed in cases such as May-Thurner syndrome, non-thrombotic iliac vein occlusions (NIVL), and post-thrombotic syndrome (PTS).