In June of 2022, Lynn Worthington, 72, had minor surgery to repair a torn meniscus in her knee. But three days later while she was recovering at home, Worthington began having difficulty breathing.
Her oxygen saturation, the number that indicates how well oxygen is delivered throughout the body, had dropped to 70 percent. After speaking with a nurse, Worthington was directed to go to the Emergency Department immediately.
“They knew something was going on,” said Worthington, and her care team found several blood clots in her lungs. “I was very surprised. I don’t have a history of blood clots.”
Blood clots like this are a condition known as thrombosis. With thrombosis, a clot forms inside of a blood vessel and blocks blood flow. When these clots break free, they can travel to other areas in the body like the lungs, heart or brain. This is known as embolization.
If this occurs, it could cause a patient to experience a life-threatening emergency like a pulmonary embolism, heart attack or stroke. In this case, the clot occurred on the venous side of the circulation, in which returns blood to the lungs for oxygenation. In rare instances, such clots can embolize to the left side of the heart and make their way to other organs.
Worthington was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) that night where she spoke with Surya Chaturvedula, MD.
“Surgery whether minor or major, makes you procoagulant, a set of conditions that favor clot formation,” said Dr. Chaturvedula. “Also, post-surgery patients are less mobile, increasing the chance for a clot formation predominantly in the lower extremities.”
After speaking with Worthington, Dr. Chaturvedula scheduled a thrombectomy for 6 a.m. the following morning to remove the clots due to the seriousness of Worthington’s condition. Without immediate intervention, blood clots in the lungs can result in life-threatening complications, such as a pulmonary embolism, where a clot in the lungs prevents oxygen from reaching the brain.
Blood clots symptoms include pain, chest discomfort or tightness that causes difficulty breathing. Coughing blood, lightheadedness, and passing out can also mean there is a blood clot in the lung.
After surgery, those experiencing these symptoms should seek immediate medical attention. Carle Health provides interventional thrombosis treatment options throughout Central Illinois. These treatments safely remove clots quickly, which is crucial to preventing the serious complications they can cause, and such interventions have demonstrated safety and efficacy in improving patient health outcomes.
For the procedure, Dr. Chaturvedula inserted a large plastic tube called a sheath into one of the large veins in the groin. A catheter enters the lungs through this tubing and suctions the clots out.
During the thrombectomy, Worthington said that she was nervous, but that Dr. Chaturvedula was good at explaining how the procedure would go. “I was scared because I was awake and could hear everything, but a nurse sat by my head and spoke to me through the entire procedure.”
The thrombectomy occurs while the patient is awake because in cases where there are blood clots in the lungs, the patient is not a good candidate for general anesthesia or deep sedation.
“We typically employ conscious sedation for such procedures with an aim to keep the patient comfortable yet awake enough to be stable to undergo the procedure,” Dr. Chaturvedula said.
After her thrombectomy, Worthington recovered well. When looking back on her experience, Worthington encourages everyone to seek medical attention if they’re having difficulty breathing because of how serious the condition may be.
“People should not wait to go to the emergency department if they have trouble breathing or chest pressure, especially after having surgery,” said Worthington.
For more information about thrombosis and other heart and vascular conditions, visit Carle.org.
Her oxygen saturation, the number that indicates how well oxygen is delivered throughout the body, had dropped to 70 percent. After speaking with a nurse, Worthington was directed to go to the Emergency Department immediately.
“They knew something was going on,” said Worthington, and her care team found several blood clots in her lungs. “I was very surprised. I don’t have a history of blood clots.”
Blood clots like this are a condition known as thrombosis. With thrombosis, a clot forms inside of a blood vessel and blocks blood flow. When these clots break free, they can travel to other areas in the body like the lungs, heart or brain. This is known as embolization.
If this occurs, it could cause a patient to experience a life-threatening emergency like a pulmonary embolism, heart attack or stroke. In this case, the clot occurred on the venous side of the circulation, in which returns blood to the lungs for oxygenation. In rare instances, such clots can embolize to the left side of the heart and make their way to other organs.Worthington was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) that night where she spoke with Surya Chaturvedula, MD.
“Surgery whether minor or major, makes you procoagulant, a set of conditions that favor clot formation,” said Dr. Chaturvedula. “Also, post-surgery patients are less mobile, increasing the chance for a clot formation predominantly in the lower extremities.”
After speaking with Worthington, Dr. Chaturvedula scheduled a thrombectomy for 6 a.m. the following morning to remove the clots due to the seriousness of Worthington’s condition. Without immediate intervention, blood clots in the lungs can result in life-threatening complications, such as a pulmonary embolism, where a clot in the lungs prevents oxygen from reaching the brain.
Blood clots symptoms include pain, chest discomfort or tightness that causes difficulty breathing. Coughing blood, lightheadedness, and passing out can also mean there is a blood clot in the lung.
After surgery, those experiencing these symptoms should seek immediate medical attention. Carle Health provides interventional thrombosis treatment options throughout Central Illinois. These treatments safely remove clots quickly, which is crucial to preventing the serious complications they can cause, and such interventions have demonstrated safety and efficacy in improving patient health outcomes.
For the procedure, Dr. Chaturvedula inserted a large plastic tube called a sheath into one of the large veins in the groin. A catheter enters the lungs through this tubing and suctions the clots out.
During the thrombectomy, Worthington said that she was nervous, but that Dr. Chaturvedula was good at explaining how the procedure would go. “I was scared because I was awake and could hear everything, but a nurse sat by my head and spoke to me through the entire procedure.”
The thrombectomy occurs while the patient is awake because in cases where there are blood clots in the lungs, the patient is not a good candidate for general anesthesia or deep sedation.
“We typically employ conscious sedation for such procedures with an aim to keep the patient comfortable yet awake enough to be stable to undergo the procedure,” Dr. Chaturvedula said.
After her thrombectomy, Worthington recovered well. When looking back on her experience, Worthington encourages everyone to seek medical attention if they’re having difficulty breathing because of how serious the condition may be.
“People should not wait to go to the emergency department if they have trouble breathing or chest pressure, especially after having surgery,” said Worthington.
For more information about thrombosis and other heart and vascular conditions, visit Carle.org.
Categories: Redefining Healthcare
Tags: Blood, Breathing, Clot, Experience, Lungs, Patient, Surgery, Thrombosis