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DVT
December 11, 2008 Blood is constantly being oxygenated and pumped throughout the body. If that blood
begins to clot your life could be at risk.
Dr. Woodrow Yeaney is a vascular surgeon. He says, “DVT is the abbreviation for
Deep Veinous Thrombosis and what that is, is a blood clot within the veins of the
legs within the deep system or within the pelvis and it can actually be quite dangerous.
It’s a very pertinent thing. It can happen to everybody and it’s something that
the hospitals and all of healthcare is very concerned about.”
Smoking and immobility can put you at risk for developing DVT. If the condition
goes untreated it can have fatal consequences. “It can cause a lot of disability
with the legs, with swelling and things like that but also there’s a rare risk that
it can go up to the lungs and cause what they call a pulmonary emboli and that can
actually be fatal, so it’s definitely not something to ignore,” says Dr. Yeaney.
If you have leg pain, chest pain, and a shortness of breath you should see a physician
or call 9-1-1 right away. Those could be symptoms of dangerously progressing DVT.
“The problem is if you get a big enough clot that goes up to the lungs it can actually
block off the blood flow so the blood flow can’t get through period. Then obviously
you don’t get any oxygenated blood flow going to the heart,” he says.
If DVT is discovered and treated quickly, patients can be put on a treatment plan that will help thin their blood and break down the clot before it becomes dangerous.
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