Thrombosis service
The thrombosis service has been developed to diagnose
and treat patients with all aspects of venous thromboembolic
disease.
What is deep vein thrombosis?
If you have deep vein thrombosis (DVT), a blood clot has formed
in one of your deep veins, probably located in your leg. Veins are
blood vessels that carry blood back to your heart from all over
your body. The blood flow rate in the deepest veins is relatively
slow; when DVT occurs the blood flow is so slow that it forms a
solid clot which becomes jammed in the vein. If a vein in your leg
gets partly or completely blocked by a blood clot, your leg can
become swollen, painful, hot and slightly red. There may also be
pain on flexing the foot upwards although equally there may be no
visible signs or symptoms at all. The DVT is most likely to form in
people who have not been able to exercise normally.
If a piece of the blood clot from the leg vein dislodges and
travels through your body to one of your lungs, causing severe
breathing difficulties, this is called pulmonary embolism and can
be serious.
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Factors that heighten thrombosis
risk:
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- Previous DVT
- Being overweight
- Contraceptive pill
- Hormone replacement therapy
- Cancer
- Smoking
- Pregnancy
- Surgical operation
- Limited movement for long periods of time
- Long haul flights (over 4 hours)
- Family history of blood clots
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Diagnosis and treatment service
Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is difficult to diagnose by symptoms
alone. Our thrombosis diagnosis and treatment service will provide
24 hour access to diagnostic facilities for patients referred by
their General Practitioner with a suspected blood clot.
The combination of blood tests, physical examination and
diagnostic tools including ultrasound and CT scanning will provide
rapid diagnosis of suspected DVT. The early diagnosis and
management of the condition has an important impact on the risk of
both recurrence and later complications.
Patients who are diagnosed with thrombosis may be admitted into
hospital for initial treatment or receive supervised out-patient
medical care. In addition, the thrombosis service will provide
routine monitoring of anticoagulant therapy and determine the
duration of the therapy.
Risk assessment and screening service
Heightened awareness of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) has resulted
in many people seeking advice about their own potential risk of
developing the condition.
Our service will provide appropriate risk assessment, including
thrombophilia testing for inherited risk factors, in patients where
there is a strong family or personal history or the presence of
factors that heighten thrombosis risk. The service is also for
individuals seeking advice for travel related DVT. Our consultants
will provide appropriate counselling if thrombosis risk factors are
identified and advise on how these should be managed over the
long-term.
Thrombosis pre-admission assessment
The London Clinic is the first private hospital to introduce a
comprehensive thrombosis risk assessment programme for patients
being admitted to the Clinic.
Patients being admitted to our hospital will undergo a standard
risk assessment upon admission for a potential thrombosis. This
assessment will provide the patient and admitting consultant with
an understanding of the individual's risk of developing DVT and PE
complications. Such an assessment will help the admitting
consultant plan the best approach to preventing these
complications.
General Disclaimer
This page is designed for educational purposes only and is not
engaged in rendering medical advice or professional services. The
information provided through these pagess should not be used for
diagnosing or treating a health problem or a disease. It is not a
substitute for professional care. If you have or suspect you may
have a health problem, you should consult your health care
provider.