Can clot in leg be surgically removed?
Patient: I had a blood clot, DVT in 2007. It was discovered I have the Factor5 Lieden chromosome, and is susceptible to DVT. Anyway I am currently on warfarin daily since the incident. My problem is the leg that the clot was in is larger than my other leg. It also has a darker color in the lower extremity, and when I run on the treadmill, it becomes to painful after 30 minutes. I was wondering if it would make sense to surgically remove the clot or try to dissolve it so there is no blood constriction. I am worried it will get worse as I get older. Doctor: HI, thanks for using healthcare magicA DVT is a clot that occurs in the deep veins. In the veins in the legs there are two sets of veins, the superficial veins  (closer to the surface) and the deep veins.Normally blood goes in one direction towards the heart and there are valves that prevent blood from going backwards or staying in the legs.When a deep vein thrombosis occurs , the back up of blood can cause damage to these valves and dilatation of the superficial veins.Because blood is no longer efficiently flowing in one direction, there are permanent issues with swelling in the leg.This also contributes to the change in colour.What you are seeing is due to the damage caused by the clot that was there previously and does not indicate that a clot is currently present.There is not likely anything to dissolve.I hope this helps