dvt

Need advice...my husband has had a dvt in his leg below knee for three months.  Last week he hit his shin at work and now leg is really swollen and purple especially on the heel.  he has been on coumadin since initial diagnosis and also his doctor put him on lovenox shots for ten days.  The lovenox was also given short term  when he was diagnosed.    There was another ultrasound done when he injured his leg and now they are not sure if he developed another clot or if this is the same clot.  Should we be concerned that there has been no followup on the clot - all they have been monitoring is his blood thinners and we are getting very concerned that his leg seems to be getting worse and no sign of it getting better.  it's getting kind of frustrating.  any advice? thanks!!

[Arti Sharma, M.D.]

Hello,
Without a complete evaluation it may be difficult for me to confirm any accurate cause and treatment. Any illness or injury that causes immobility increases the risk of DVT.If you are concerned it is best to have a frank discussion with his doctor. A Doppler ultrasound may be helpful in follow-up of the initial clot as well as detecting if there is any new clot developing. A person on Coumadin should be monitored through serial PT/INR which should be within a safe range to avoid serious complications such as bleeding or stroke. Do keep me posted on his health.
Best luck and take care!

[novaseo]

DVT is formation of a clot within a deep vein.
It's always best to consult with a doctor to confirm your condition, Dr. Malekmehr is a board certified cardiovascular surgeon specializing in this matter and treats patients with DVT and pulmonary embolism

Visit his website: http://dvtinfo.com/

[angiesmom]

Hello,

Don't let his leg get worse, he can have damage to his leg.

Your husband should got to a vascular surgeon immediately who will properly monitor the clot, if he hasn't done that. That is what I did and the first thing my Dr. did was to do an ultrasound to see where the clot was & if it had travelled- he did both legs and arms. In the hospital they wouldn't do another us and said I wouldn't need one done for 6 months but this was a mistake. After I left the hospital, I returned twice to an er for symptoms of another clot. I had a superficial one in my left arm and something in my right leg that probably never developed to a full clot due to being on warfarin. The one in my arm didn't become apparent until I tried to do some strengthening exercises for my arms, then I had pain and swelling etc.

Good luck.

[angiesmom]

Hello,

Don't let his leg get worse, he can have damage to his leg.

Your husband should got to a vascular surgeon immediately who will properly monitor the clot, if he hasn't done that. That is what I did and the first thing my Dr. did was to do an ultrasound to see where the clot was & if it had travelled- he did both legs and arms. In the hospital they wouldn't do another us and said I wouldn't need one done for 6 months but this was a mistake. After I left the hospital, I returned twice to an er for symptoms of another clot. I had a superficial one in my left arm and something in my right leg that probably never developed to a full clot due to being on warfarin. The one in my arm didn't become apparent until I tried to do some strengthening exercises for my arms, then I had pain and swelling etc.

Good luck.