What is venous thrombosis and how can it be treated?
Venous thrombosis is the formation of a clot inside a vein, causing partial or total occlusion of the vein, with the consequent difficulty for the blood flow inside it. Dr. Agustín Arroyo Bielsa, Vascular Surgeon, Expert in Aneurysms, Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Doppler Ultrasound, explains why they occur and how they can be treated.
Thrombosis: why and when do they occur?
It is not possible to establish a typical pattern of venous thrombosis, and in fact, most of them occur without a known cause. But we can say that there are a number of risk factors, some congenital or hereditary, and others acquired.
Among congenital thrombophilias, we should especially mention hereditary thrombophilias, which are a group of coagulation protein anomalies, the deficit of which can favor the development of thrombotic phenomena. Two of these alterations are well known, such as “Factor V Leiden” and the 20210A prothrombin mutation.
As for acquired factors, we should mention many situations that can stimulate the appearance of thrombotic processes: recent surgery, trauma, cancer, infections, varicose veins, etc.
What are the symptoms of venous thrombosis?
The most frequent location of venous thrombosis is in the lower limbs and we should differentiate between two types of venous thrombosis. On the one hand, “superficial thrombophlebitis”, characterized by the appearance of an inflamed, hardened and painful area in the leg. This is a generally benign condition. On the other hand the “deep vein thrombosis”, which presents with general swelling of the leg and pain, this is usually seen is a slight bluish hue of the limb.
This is a more severe and potentially serious condition, as it can generate an embolism in the lung, and also usually leaves some kind of sequelae in the limb. Performing a color Ecodoppler test is essential for diagnosis.
How to treat a thrombosis
In the event of venous thrombosis, several aspects of treatment should be taken into account, such as postural measures, favoring elevation of the limb, elastic containment with therapeutic stockings, anti-inflammatory drugs on some occasions, and above all, anticoagulation.
It is common for a venous thrombosis condition to be treated with different types of treatments, which, together, collaborate to prevent the clot from increasing in size, thus avoiding the likelihood that another clot may form, or even that the existing clot(s) may break away from the venous wall in which they are located and manage to travel to the lungs.
Regarding the dosage and duration of anticoagulation medications, these are elements which will depend on many factors, and the prescription of these may come in relation to the doctor trying to prevent new venous thrombosis, or to treat those already suffered.
How to prevent venous thrombosis
Since in many cases the medical condition leading to thrombosis is of unknown cause, the appearance of a venous thrombosis is therefore unpredictable. But in all those situations in which one or more risk factors are present, prophylactic measures should be applied, such as the use of an elastic stocking or the application of heparin at an adequate dose.