Over the years, Jack has battled episodes of leg pain and swelling. About eight years ago, he discovered the reason: deep vein thrombosis (DVT), a condition that occurs when a blood clot develops in a vein, usually in the lower leg or thigh. Since then, Jack has battled three episodes of DVT. The last one in early 2010 was the worst.
"My legs felt extremely heavy — like they were going to explode," Jack says. "I don't even have the words to describe the pain."
Sitting Too Long Raises Risk
Along with the risks Jack faced, other factors that increase the chance of developing DVT include smoking, taking hormones or birth control pills, being overweight, and inheriting a condition that makes the blood more likely to clot. Although DVT can happen at any age, it usually strikes after age 60.
Seek Treatment for Ongoing Leg Pain
It's important to get treated for DVT. The disease can be life-threatening if the blood clot breaks away from the vein. A loose blood clot can lodge in the lung, causing a pulmonary embolism, which can trigger cardiac arrest or death.
"Most DVTs can be treated with blood thinners alone," says Sung Kwon, M.D., a board certified vascular surgeon at Ocean Medical Center. "But serious DVTs sometimes need more intensive treatment. If not, patients may have heavy, swollen, painful legs for life."
Dr. Kwon treated Jack when his most recent episode of DVT brought him to Ocean in March 2010. Dr. Kwon suggested a relatively new procedure that would remove the blood clots and restore Jack's blood flow.
A One-Two Punch for Clots
The procedure, called thrombolysis with mechanical thrombectomy, is virtually noninvasive. It involves a catheter — the AngioJet® Ultra — that removes clots without major surgery. The catheter is about as thin as a strand of spaghetti.
During Jack's procedure, Dr. Kwon guided the catheter through a vein in his leg to reach each blood clot. He then injected a clot-dissolving medicine directly into the clots to break them up and gently sucked out smaller pieces using the AngioJet. Jack stayed in the hospital overnight. The next day Dr. Kwon's colleague and fellow vascular surgeon, Frank Sharp, M.D., used another type of catheter to help relieve Jack's blocked veins.
Because the treatment is minimally invasive, most patients need to stay in the hospital to receive the clot-dissolving medicine for only one to three days afterward.
Working Toward Better Health
Since his treatment, Jack has been able to focus on his job — not his leg pain. To reduce his chance of developing another clot down the road, Jack takes warfarin, a blood thinner, every day. While some people need to take warfarin for only a few months to treat DVT, Jack will probably need to take the medicine for the rest of his life. If he doesn't, he's likely to develop DVT again due to his risk factors.
No matter how busy Jack is, he realizes he can no longer ignore his health problems. "I never miss a dose of my medicine now," he says. He knows that when it comes to keeping his body healthy, he's the best man for the job.
About the Doctor
- Sung W. Kwon, M.D.
Board certified in Vascular Surgery
Brick, NJ | 732-202-1500
