1. Try Using Blood Thinners
The blood's ability to clot is essential in your body's healing processes. At the site of an open wound, blood will form a jelly-like plug that stops the wound from bleeding. Yet sometimes blood can start clotting when it is not supposed to. When this happens in the blood vessels, the results can be very dangerous, including artery blockage, strokes, and even death.
When the presence of a clot is detected but is not yet posing a fatal threat, your doctor may first place you on blood thinning, or anticoagulant, medication. These drugs will not break down your current clot, but they will keep it from getting bigger and more dangerous. They will also prevent the build-up of more clots.
2. Start Taking Clot-Busting Drugs
When a clot is discovered and determined to be life threatening, doctors will often treat you with clot-busting drugs, otherwise known as thrombolytics. The most common medication types are tissue plasminogen activators (TPAs). These are injected into your veins in order to find and dissolve the hazardous clot. They are powerful in breaking up coagulated blood, but they can also cause serious bleeding in some circumstances. They are primarily an emergency treatment option.
3. Have a Filter Inserted in Your Vena Cava
If blood thinners or other medications do not solve the problem, a surgeon can insert a filter (a distal protection device) in your vena cava, the large artery leading to the lungs. The filter is placed in the abdomen, letting blood flow through but keeping the clot from getting into the lungs and causing deadly problems.
4. Remove the Clot With a Catheter
A catheter embolectomy can be used to remove clots when they cannot be dissolved with drugs. In this procedure a catheter is inserted into the affected artery and pushed up until it meets the clot. It is then captured and pulled out with the catheter. This can be a very effective method, but it does involve surgery and the related risks.
