Deep Vein Thrombosis

Our Approach

Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a large blood clot that forms in the deep veins of the body, usually in the legs or pelvis. It can cause serious health problems, including pulmonary embolism.

At Franciscan Health, our doctors can diagnose DVT and recommend appropriate treatment. Our goal is to prevent clots from causing damage.

Treatments for DVT

There are several treatment options for deep vein thrombosis, including:

• Compression stockings: These stockings go from your feet to your knees and can prevent swelling.
• Medications: Your doctor may prescribe blood thinners, which reduce the size of a clot and prevent new ones from forming. Or your doctor may recommend clot-busting drugs to quickly dissolve blood clots.
• Filters: If medications aren’t an option, your doctor can insert a filter into a large abdominal vein. The filter can catch a clot before it reaches the lungs.

How we diagnose DVT

Your doctor will perform a physical exam and may do a blood test. We may also recommend ultrasound and X-rays. We use special dye injections during these imaging tests so we can see any clots.

About deep vein thrombosis

Clots often form in the deep veins of the lower leg and thigh, as well as the pelvis. Clots can also form in other parts of your body, including the arms, liver, intestines, brain or kidneys.

These clots can be painful because they block some or all the blood flowing through the vein. When a clot breaks loose, it can travel through the veins to the lungs and cause pulmonary embolism.

Risk factors for deep vein thrombosis include:

• Long periods of inactivity, including plane, bus or car trips
• Confinement in bed after an accident or surgery

Deep vein thrombosis symptoms

Symptoms of DVT include:

• Swelling in an arm or leg, sometimes very quickly
• Redness or other unusual coloring of the skin
• Tenderness and warmth in a leg or arm
• Expansion in the veins underneath the skin of the affected area

DVT and pulmonary embolism

You may not notice symptoms until after a clot lodges in the lungs and causes a pulmonary embolism.

Call 911 immediately if you suspect pulmonary embolism.

Signs may include:

• Sudden shortness of breath
• Chest pain made worse by a deep breath, moving or coughing
• Cough, sometimes with blood
• Back pain
• Racing pulse or rapid breathing
• Light-headedness or fainting
• Unusual sweating