Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsCausesRisk FactorsPreventionTreatmentSignsWhen to Call a Provider
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Causes
Risk Factors
Prevention
Treatment
Signs
When to Call a Provider
Blood clotsafter surgery are a concerning complication. They can lead to deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE). DVT occurs when a blood clot forms in a deep vein, usually in your thigh or calf. A PE is a potentially fatal condition where the clot breaks free and travels through the veins to the lungs.
These complications are very serious and must be treated quickly to minimize the damage to your body. This article explains what causes blood clots to form and what puts you at risk of blood clots after surgery. It also discusses how to treat and spot blood clots after surgery and what you can do to prevent them.
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What Causes Blood Clots After Surgery?
A blood clot is more likely to form during or after surgery than it is during your routine day-to-day life.There are multiple reasons for this, but one major cause is inactivity.
During surgery, you lie still on the operating table for an extended time, which puts you at risk for clots.
Many people are also inactive after surgery because they’re in pain, sick, or unable to walk. That increases the risk of clot formation after the procedure. Inactivity makes it easier for blood to clot because muscle use typically squeezes blood out of your veins and keeps it from pooling. Pooling blood can lead to clots. Clots tend to form in your deep veins, leading todeep vein thrombosis (DVT).
Clots can break free and move from the legs to the lungs, causing a life-threatening condition called apulmonary embolism (PE). A PE can be treated, but if left untreated, it can cause heart attack, shock, stroke, or death.
Your medical and social history may contribute to clot formation. For example, if you’re a smoker, you’re at higher risk for the formation of blood clots than the average person, even without having surgery.
2:22Common Causes & Risk Factors for Blood Clots
2:22
Common Causes & Risk Factors for Blood Clots
Risk Factors for Blood Clots After Surgery
A wide range of medical conditions and other factors can increase your risk of post-surgical blood clots. These conditions include:
Talk to your healthcare provider about your risk of DVT and PE before you go into surgery, and ask about the type of prevention measures you may need.
Preventing Blood Clots After Surgery
After surgery, you’ll want to be proactive in preventing blood clots. Here are things you can do at the hospital and at home to reduce your risk.
At the Hospital
Getting up and moving during your recovery from surgery is one of the best ways to prevent blood clots.Your healthcare provider will ask you to get up and move around as soon as possible after surgery.
Before you head home, discuss your risk of blood clots with your healthcare provider. Blood clots after surgery can occur up to 90 days after the procedure.
Your healthcare provider may prescribe medication to prevent clots from forming. Injectable medications—such asLovenoxorHeparin—are very common during a hospital stay after surgery. This medication is given to prevent the formation of a blood clot. It is less commonly prescribed for use at home.
At Home
When you get home, it’s important to follow your healthcare provider’s instructions to prevent DVT and PE. This includes taking medications as directed and getting up and walking around. If you can’t walk around, have someone help you move your arms and legs.
Your healthcare provider may tell you to wearcompression stockingsto prevent blood clots after surgery. These snug stockings use pressure to improve blood flow and prevent clots.
Know the Symptoms of a Blood Clot
Treating Blood Clots
Thetreatment for blood clotsdepends on their location.Blood thinners, like the drug warfarin, help the body remove a clot from the bloodstream. Heparin may also be given to prevent additional clots from forming or to prevent clots from getting bigger. You may be asked to take a blood thinner for at least three months or longer depending on your situation.
Typically, DVT is treated with medication, but if there’s a high risk of the clot moving to the lungs or you can’t safely take the medication, a device called an inferior vena cava filter may be placed. This device acts as a tiny basket, catching clots before they can lodge in the lungs and cause damage.
A healthcare provider places these filters through a small incision in the groin or neck, then threads the filter into place in theinferior vena cava(a large vein). The filter may be in place temporarily or permanently.
Treatment for a PE can include blood thinners or thrombolytics (medication that dissolves blood clots). Thrombolytics can cause complications like sudden bleeding so they are used only for serious and life-threatening PE. Sometimes a vena cava filter is placed or a flexible tube called a catheter is used to break up the clot or deliver medicine.
Taking Blood Thinners Before, During, and After Surgery
Signs of a Blood Clot
Not everyone with a blood clot will notice symptoms. In fact, about half of people with DVT don’t show any signs at all. If you do have symptoms, they will show up in the affected part of the body, such as your leg. Common symptoms include:
When to Call a Healthcare Provider
Contact a healthcare provider immediately if you notice any signs of a blood clot, such as pain or swelling in the affected body part. Your doctor will run special tests to diagnose DVT or PE. Both DVT and PE can be treated.
When to Call 911Pulmonary embolism (PE) is a serious condition that requires immediate medical treatment. Seek medical help right away if you notice any of the following signs of symptoms of PE:Difficulty breathingFaster than normal or irregular heart beatChest pain or discomfort, which usually gets worse when you take a deep breath or coughCoughing up bloodVery low blood pressure, lightheadedness, or fainting
When to Call 911
Pulmonary embolism (PE) is a serious condition that requires immediate medical treatment. Seek medical help right away if you notice any of the following signs of symptoms of PE:Difficulty breathingFaster than normal or irregular heart beatChest pain or discomfort, which usually gets worse when you take a deep breath or coughCoughing up bloodVery low blood pressure, lightheadedness, or fainting
Pulmonary embolism (PE) is a serious condition that requires immediate medical treatment. Seek medical help right away if you notice any of the following signs of symptoms of PE:
Summary
Blood clots after surgery can be a very serious complication. If you experience unexplained pain, swelling, or a dramatic increase in pain aftersurgery, particularly in the legs, there could be an issue with blood clots, a condition known as deep vein thrombosis (DVT).
Understand your risks of developing blood clots after surgery. If you’re taking certain medications and or have certain medical conditions, you may have an increased risk of DVT.
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7 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Heart Lung and Blood Institute.What is venous thromboembolism?Stop The Clot, Spread The Word.Know your risk factors.Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.Your guide to preventing and treating blood clots.Stop The Clot, Spread The Word.Hospitalization.MedlinePlus.Deep vein thrombosis.MedlinePlus.Pulmonary embolism.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About venous thromboembolism (blood clots).
7 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Heart Lung and Blood Institute.What is venous thromboembolism?Stop The Clot, Spread The Word.Know your risk factors.Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.Your guide to preventing and treating blood clots.Stop The Clot, Spread The Word.Hospitalization.MedlinePlus.Deep vein thrombosis.MedlinePlus.Pulmonary embolism.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About venous thromboembolism (blood clots).
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
National Heart Lung and Blood Institute.What is venous thromboembolism?Stop The Clot, Spread The Word.Know your risk factors.Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.Your guide to preventing and treating blood clots.Stop The Clot, Spread The Word.Hospitalization.MedlinePlus.Deep vein thrombosis.MedlinePlus.Pulmonary embolism.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About venous thromboembolism (blood clots).
National Heart Lung and Blood Institute.What is venous thromboembolism?
Stop The Clot, Spread The Word.Know your risk factors.
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.Your guide to preventing and treating blood clots.
Stop The Clot, Spread The Word.Hospitalization.
MedlinePlus.Deep vein thrombosis.
MedlinePlus.Pulmonary embolism.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About venous thromboembolism (blood clots).
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