Deep Vein Thrombosis
You don’t have to let leg pain, swelling or concerns about blood clots disrupt your life. Deep vein thrombosis, also known as DVT, is a serious condition that happens when a blood clot forms inside a deep vein, most often in the leg.
At Trinity Health Michigan, our vascular specialists provide advanced diagnosis, treatment and ongoing care for DVT. Our goal is to treat blood clots quickly, reduce your risk of complications and help protect your long-term vascular health.
Treatment Options
Your DVT treatment plan depends on the location and size of the clot, your symptoms, your overall health and your risk for future blood clots.
Medical Management for DVT
- Blood thinners to help prevent the clot from getting larger
- Medications to reduce the risk of future clots
- Ongoing monitoring and medication adjustments
Advanced DVT Procedures
For some patients, more advanced treatment may be needed. Trinity Health Michigan offers DVT thrombectomy or thrombolysis, which treats deep vein thrombosis by breaking up or removing blood clots in the legs.
Prevention and Lifestyle Support
Your care team may also recommend ways to reduce your risk of future blood clots, including:
Conditions and Risk Factors
DVT can happen for many reasons. Your risk may be higher if you have certain medical conditions or lifestyle factors.
Common risk factors may include:
- Recent surgery or hospitalization
- Limited movement or long periods of sitting
- Injury to a vein
- Pregnancy or recent childbirth
- Certain heart or vascular conditions
- A history of blood clots
- Family history of clotting disorders
- Obesity
- Smoking
- Some medications or hormone therapies
Identifying and managing these risks is an important part of comprehensive DVT care.
Frequently Asked Questions About Deep Vein Thrombosis
Deep vein thrombosis is a blood clot that forms inside a deep vein, most often in the leg.
Yes. DVT can be serious because a blood clot can travel to the lungs and cause a life-threatening pulmonary embolism. Prompt diagnosis and treatment are important.
Symptoms may include leg pain, swelling, redness, warmth, tenderness or inflammation. Some people do not have symptoms.
Treatment may include blood thinners, ongoing monitoring, lifestyle changes or advanced procedures to break up or remove the clot.
Some clots may improve over time, but DVT should always be evaluated by a medical professional because of the risk of serious complications.
You should seek medical care if you have leg pain, swelling, redness, warmth or tenderness, especially if symptoms occur suddenly or affect one leg more than the other.