Bleeding and Clotting Disorders

Blood clots in the legs and lung

04/26/2008 04:58PM

Question:

A male family member is 45 and had some type of accident years ago and had many surgeries on his leg and has been on blood thinners for years as a result. 6 weeks ago he developed a blood clot in the leg that had had all the surgeries and was hospitalized. The leg grew to 30" around. The hospital sent him home after a few weeks. While home another blood clot formed in his other leg and then one in his lung. He is now back in the hospital.
What recommendations do you have. Since he is already on blood thinners and is still getting clots? We are all scared as we know if they break off in a clump he is in serious danger.
Who are the leading experts in the field on this? We value your suggestions and opinion and will also go anywhere you recommend to get assistance. We are not confident he is getting the best advice where he is.
Thank You.

Answer:

There are some patients that for a variety of circumstances can clot despite being on an anticoagulant. While it is not possible to give any direct medical advice without more knowledge of the case and being able to examine the family member, I would agree that the opinion from someone who has expertise in clotting disorders is important. I would suggest that you contact a university hospital in your area to find out if they have clotting experts at their institution. Most academic (university) hospitals have one or more people who specialized in blood clotting disorders.

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Response by:

Spero R. Cataland, MD
Clinical Asst. Professor of Internal Medicine
James Cancer Hospital & Solove Research Institute
Hematology and Oncology
College of Medicine
The Ohio State University