Ive heard I can get blood clots after surgery. What is the risk, and what can be done to reduce the risk?
A blood clot will form within a blood vessel when there is damage to the blood vessel wall. This occurs when the rate of blood flow is diminished, or when these is an increased clotting tendency (hypercoagulability). The rate of blood clot formation varies greatly, depending on the type of surgery. Total hip and knee replacements have some of the highest rates of deep venous thrombosis of the leg, generally felt to be 30-50%. While most of these blood clots do not cause symptoms, about 1 in 100 patients having a joint replacement will have a clot break off and travel through the heart to the lungs (a pulmonary embolus) which can profoundly affect circulation and respiration. HSS is a nationally recognized leader in epidural anesthesia, which reduces the risk of these complications by 20-50% Smoking, obesity, and estrogen all increase the risk of blood clot formation. You may want to discuss modifying these risk factors with your doctor prior to surgery. Be sure to tell your doctor if y
