Preventing blood clots after weight-loss surgery

    Description

    As you will be sitting or lying down for long periods of time during and after your surgery, your blood will move more slowly through your veins. General anesthesia also causes you blood to move more slowly through your veins. This increases the chance of blood clots forming in your leg veins. This is called deep vein thrombosis, or DVT.

    Patients who have had a prior blood clot are at a higher risk for developing another blood clot during or after surgery.

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    Blood clots in the legs (deep vein thrombosis)

    Call your doctor right away if you have any of these symptoms. They are signs of a blood clot in your leg:

    • Red or blue skin color.
    • Calf pain in your leg. It may hurt to place all of your weight on this leg when you stand or move your ankle up and down.
    • Calf tenderness in your leg.
    • Swelling (edema) in your leg.

    Blood clots in the lungs (pulmonary embolus)

    Blood clots that form in your legs can then travel to your lungs. These clots can cause serious problems with your breathing and can put a strain on your heart. This condition is called a pulmonary embolism. Symptoms of a pulmonary embolism are:

    • Sharp chest pain
    • Difficult or fast breathing
    • Coughing blood
    • Fainting
    • Sweating
    • Confusion
    • Shortness of breath

    A blood clot that travels to your lungs is an emergency. Seek medical help right away if you have any of the above symptoms.

    Preventing blood clots from forming

    Before and after surgery, take these steps to help prevent blood clots from forming:

    • Wear compression stockings. You may be asked to wear these on your legs while in the hospital. They gently squeeze your legs to improve blood flow, and this helps prevent clots from forming.
    • DO NOT smoke or use any other tobacco products. Tobacco restricts blood flow and can make a blood clot more likely to form.
    • Stop taking birth control pills. Women should talk with their surgeon if they use birth control pills, since they can make blood clots more likely to form.
    • Move your ankles up and down. Your doctor or nurse may show you how to do this to prevent clots from forming.
    • Get up and move around. You will probably wear devices that squeeze your lower legs while you are in the hospital. These should only be removed when you are walking in the hallways. Walking is an excellent way to exercise the legs and reduce the chance of forming a blood clot there.

    You may also need to take blood thinners after your surgery to lower your risk of blood clots. Your doctor may prescribe one or both of these:

    • Shots under the skin that your health care provider will teach you to give yourself.
    • Pills that help prevent blood clots.
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    Review Date: 1/30/2018

    Reviewed By: John E. Meilahn, MD, Bariatric Surgery, Chestnut Hill Surgical Associates, Philadelphia, PA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.

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