Removal of Deep Vein Blood Clots

Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) occurs when a blood clot forms in a vein deep within your body, usually in the legs or pelvis. When blood clots get stuck and accumulate inside veins, they can damage the vein and interfere with the flow of blood back to your heart. DVT can also cause the blood to pool within your legs, causing pain and making it difficult to walk. If a blood clot travels to the lung, it can cause a dangerous condition called pulmonary embolism (PE). Blood clots in the deep veins can break free and travel to other parts of the body; a PE occurs when that blood clot travels through the heart and blocks flow to the heart. A surgical thrombectomy is a type of surgery to remove a blood clot from inside an artery or vein. Normally, blood flows freely through your blood vessels, arteries, and veins. Your arteries carry blood with oxygen and nutrients to your body. Yours veins carry waste products back to the heart. In some cases, the blood thickens and clumps to form a blood clot in one of these vessels. This can block the blood flow. When blood flow is blocked, nearby tissues can be damaged. During a surgical thrombectomy, an incision will be made into a blood vessel. The clot is removed, and the blood vessel is repaired. This restores blood flow. In some cases, a balloon or other device may be put in the blood vessel to help keep it open.