24/05/2025
Clinical Update: Understanding Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT)
Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) is a serious condition where blood clots form in the body's deep veins, most commonly in the legs. Understanding its causes is key to prevention and timely treatment.
DVTs arise from a combination of factors often referred to as Virchow's triad:
* Venous Stasis (Slow Blood Flow): Prolonged immobility due to long travel, bed rest after surgery, or paralysis significantly slows blood flow in the veins, increasing clot risk.
* Hypercoagulability (Blood Clotting Disorders): The blood itself may be more prone to clotting. This can be due to inherited genetic conditions, certain medications (like hormonal contraceptives or hormone replacement therapy), cancer and its treatments, pregnancy, or dehydration.
* Endothelial Injury (Damage to Vein Walls): Trauma, surgery (especially orthopaedic or major abdominal/pelvic surgery), inflammation, or previous clots can damage the smooth inner lining of the vein, making it a nidus for clot formation.
Recent clinical understanding also increasingly highlights inflammation as a crucial contributor, linking conditions like infections or systemic inflammatory diseases to DVT development. Other risk factors include increasing age, obesity, smoking, and a personal or family history of DVT.
A DVT can cause leg pain, swelling, warmth, and redness, but sometimes occurs with no symptoms. The greatest danger is a pulmonary embolism (PE), where a piece of the clot breaks off and travels to the lungs, which can be life-threatening.
Early diagnosis and expert management are vital to prevent complications.
For expert assessment and personalised management of your vascular conditions, consult specialist vascular surgeon Dr. Biju Sivam Pillai at The Vein and Artery Clinic. Take control of your vascular health today.
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