In Good Health - Summer 2011 - Fairview - (Page 5)

Opting for Surgery She quickly realized that she would need to do both. Cleveland Clinic vascular surgeon Ramandeep Sidhu, MD, explained that Roach likely would develop severe post-thrombotic syndrome, a long-term complication affecting her leg’s size and function, if the extensive clot wasn’t removed. Dr. Sidhu says the syndrome can be devastating for patients like Roach. “She could not put weight on her leg even three to four days after blood thinners started,” he says. “She was not able to walk. The effects would have been permanent.” So Much to Live For “This procedure is magical as far as how it looks before and after,” she says, noting how her ballooning left leg soon returned to its normal size. “I would do it again if I had to. I’m going to ask [Max] to be a very good baby, because I went through a lot when he was inside of me.” “This is the best possible outcome,” agrees Dr. Sidhu. “There’s nothing better than this treatment regimen for such extensive DVT during pregnancy.” Right Place, Right Time, Right Surgeon Most intimidating to Roach was that fewer than 10 reported cases of pregnant women in the United States who had DVTs had undergone this procedure, known as an endovascular pharmacomechanical venous thrombectomy. Roach’s operation would be the first of its kind at Fairview. While surgery during pregnancy is never ideal, the main threat to Roach’s baby was the use of radiation to help Dr. Sidhu and his team visualize the clot. Roach also required a strong clot-busting drug, but it does not cross the placenta, Dr. Sidhu says, so it would not pose a risk to the fetus. During the several-hour procedure, a small incision was made behind Roach’s knee and the DVT was destroyed and sucked out through a catheter. Roach recovered rapidly in the days that followed. Can DVTs Be Prevented? A dangerous blood clot that forms in a vein deep in the body, a deep vein thrombosis, or DVT, can arise from several factors, including obesity and the use of birth control pills. But the best way to keep DVTs at bay is to avoid long periods of inactivity that decrease blood flow, says Basem Droubi, MD, a vascular surgeon at Fairview Hospital. After surgery or a serious injury, it’s important to get up, walk and stretch as often as possible. Also, don’t sit for long periods during lengthy trips by car, bus, train or airplane. Some DVTs may not show symptoms, but common signs include: Swelling in a leg or an arm, sometimes suddenly Leg pain or tenderness that may occur only during standing or walking Basem Droubi, MD Vascular Surgery SEE WHAT DVT LOOKS LIKE For a photo of how deep vein thrombosis affects a patient’s legs, go to fairviewhospital.org and click the Health Information tab, then Multimedia Encyclopedia and search “DVT.” Warm feeling in the affected leg or arm Skin redness or discoloration Vein enlargement in the affected arm or leg you KNOW? DID Most DVTs occur in the lower leg, thigh or pelvis, but they can also appear in the arms, intestines, brain, liver or kidney. FAIRVIEWHOSPITAL.ORG | 5 http://www.fairviewhospital.org http://www.FAIRVIEWHOSPITAL.ORG

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of In Good Health - Summer 2011 - Fairview

In Good Health - Summer 2011 - Fairview
Contents
Finding relief from your pain
Lifesaving surgery during pregnancy— a remarkable fi rst
Treating gynecologic cancers with robotics
What’s new at Fairview

In Good Health - Summer 2011 - Fairview

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