DVT requires prompt treatment. The type of treatment will depend on the level of symptoms, your age and overall health. Restoring proper blood flow can help reduce the chances of a blood clot.
An anticoagulant is a blood-thinning medicine commonly used to treat DVT or pulmonary embolism. Although called blood thinners, these medicines do not thin the blood. They reduce the ability of the blood to clot and can prevent a clot from becoming larger while the body slowly reabsorbs it.
Thrombolysis, also known as clot-busting therapy, is a procedure that uses medicine to dissolve blood clots within the blood vessels. Thrombolytic medicines are either injected straight into a vein or delivered through a catheter inserted into an artery near the clot location. During catheter-based thrombolysis, you receive local anesthesia so you don’t feel the incision for the catheter. If you receive systemic thrombolysis, you’ll receive the medicine through an IV. After thrombolysis, you’ll usually be monitored in the hospital for a few days. After you leave the hospital, you may need to follow up with your doctor to monitor your health and prevent additional clots.
Thrombectomy is a procedure that directly removes a blood clot from a blocked blood vessel. Thrombectomy can be performed in two ways:
- During surgical thrombectomy, the doctor makes an incision at the site of the blockage to remove the clot and repair the blood vessel. Surgical thrombectomy is often performed if the clot is large or the blockage is in an area that is difficult to reach with catheters.
- In endovascular thrombectomy, also known as catheter-directed thrombectomy, a catheter is introduced into your artery through a small incision in the groin or arm. Once the catheter reaches the clot, doctors use special tools to remove it. Then, clot-dissolving medicine is used to clear away any remaining pieces.
After thrombectomy, you may be in the hospital overnight or for a few days, depending on the type of procedure you had.
