Anyone had blood clots after surgery?

PamJ4 · August 5, 2007

I am in a predicament and need some good advice from those of you who were/are in my shoes. My band was put o 6/27/07 by an excellent team of surgeons, but after the surgery I had several things occur - a thrombosis by the IV site (which went away after a week), an allergic reaction to the liquid hydrocodone (a mid-night call to the surgeon 24 hours later solved that one with Benadryl), and a severe pain in my left leg which lasted 8 days after surgery (then went away for 4 weeks!). Well, the pain in my leg was overlooked due to med reaction I experienced but when it came back this past Monday and wouldn't go away, a blood clot was suspected. By Wednesday night, I was in the ER then admitted for a calf blood clot - which apparently, scarily enough, had been there for 5 weeks!! Now, I've been on birth control for 18 years and I know that increases your chances, and for some reason I feel I should have been told to discontinue that a few months prior to the surgery. No one in my family has a history of blood clots, but now after having spent 3 nights in the hospital, I'm on blood thinners for the next 6 months. They did a CT scan and found 2 clots - one in each LUNG - that the doc feels fairly sure broke off from the one in my leg. I was not even aware of them, so they were very small. But.........now I have to cancel my first fill on 8/13 because they are afraid I'll bleed too much.

What I am wondering now is if I should keep my appointment on 8/30 because although this blood clot issue is of number one importance, I just can't see having gone through all I did to get the band to put it off for 6 months while on this blood thinner. I'm on what's considered to be a low dose, but I want my weight loss to begin and maybe that will help things all the way around.

Anyone that can share information that will put my mind at ease or give me some good advice is appreciated. I have no illusions as to the seriousness of this complication and have to completely stop the birth control, but I'm too young to be worrying about heart problems and it scares me. :help:

Banded 6/27 - VG band, Dr. Jose Erbella and Dr. Gary Bunch, Manatee Memorial Hospital, Bradenton, FL

cbrock1592 · August 6, 2007

See what the surgeon says. I had a DVT and PE after I had a c-section in 2003 and my surgeon knows that I will be on blood thinners before and after the band. They didn't seem to raise any issues - but give your body time to get used to the blood thinners.

Just take it easy - PE's are no laughing matter.

PamJ4 · August 7, 2007

How long did you "take it easy"? Reason I ask, I'm a teacher and due to report back to work next Monday. The doc at the hospital said it was okay to return to work but I'm a bit scared to say the least. My room is upstairs and I'm concerned about doing something that might be too much strain too soon. I can't take a medical leave just now otherwise that might be a possibility....but I do have all of this week to recover and be on bedrest. This is scary stuff and I'm still processing the whole thing. Also, I thought the blood thinners dissolved the clots but today my PCP told me that all it does is keep more from forming. Should the ones in my system be a concern, I wonder? Are you still on blood thinners?

cbrock1592 · August 7, 2007

Well - I was off on Short Term when I had the first round of clots. I had just given birth 2 1/2 weeks earlier. But once your anti coagulated - you should be ok to resume normal activities. They usually keep you on blood thinners about a year to give your body time to reabsorb them into your system.

The blood thinners do not absorb the existing clots. And your PCP is correct that they just prevent new ones from forming. For example - the DVT in my leg is still there. I had to do a scan prior to my surgery because of my history and I still have one in my leg. They told me not to worry - because its been there over 4 years and it won't move - scar tissue forms over it. I would need to worry if I broke my leg or has some other type of trauma to my leg.

I had a DVT/PE in 2003 and had another DVT in 2004 (which I believe is the same one - but they don't know for sure) so I will always be on some form of blood thinner.

It is scary stuff. It was my biggest concern getting this surgery - but at this point you now your prone to them and they will now take the extra precautions to make sure this doesn't happen. But I did have a filter put in prior to my surgery which will help from traveling from my leg to my lungs should anything occur.

Hope everything goes well! =)