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What is DVT/PE?

Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is the formation of a blood clot in a deep vein. DVT usually occurs in the legs, especially in the calf; but blood clots can develop in other areas of the body including the arms. The main cause of DVT is inadequate blood flow through the vein. The pooling of blood that occurs with venous insufficiency facilitates the clotting of substances in the blood. Treatment by a top vascular specialist in Bergen County will provide you with vein treatment that will alleviate your symptoms from varicose veins and reduce your risk of developing DVT as your condition progresses.

DVT may cause symptoms of pain, tenderness, or swelling but some people have no symptoms at all. If a blood clot is suspected, the vascular doctor will use ultrasound or duplex, a ct scan or magnetic resonance imagining (MRI) to view the deep veins of the leg.

The greatest risk of DVT is if a portion of the blood clot breaks loose and travels to another organ. Most often, blood clots travel to the lungs in a condition called pulmonary embolism (PE). Less often, a clot can travel to the brain, heart, or kidneys where it can cause damage, lead to other medical problems, and even cause death.

The most common treatment for DVT is blood thinners that prevent the blot from growing larger or from breaking off. Sometimes, patients cannot receive blood thinners and a vena cava (IVC) filter is placed in the vena cava vein to prevent clots from lodging in your lungs. This is performed in a minimally invasive fashion via a needle stick.

Many patients do not have success using only blood thinners. The vascular specialists at Bergen Surgical use advanced and progressive therapies to actually break up, dissolve and suction out these advanced blood clots. These medications are usually given directly to the clot with the use of a tiny catheter. The results have been outstanding and may patients’ clots are totally dissolved.

Moreover, if these clots travel to the heart or lungs, the physicians at Bergen Surgical Specialists can use advanced catheters and suction devices to remove these potentially fatal clots prior to them causing catastrophic events.

The team at Bergen Surgical Specialists uses the latest in technologies and are aggressive in treating DVT’s and PE’s before they become a chronic and debilitating condition.

Compression stockings may also be prescribed to help prevent swelling. Our Hackensack vascular surgeons can advise you on the severity of your condition and work with you to create the ideal treatment path for your DVT or PE.

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