Breast Surgery Blood Clot Symptoms

Blood clots are a very real issue that you should be aware of if you are considering any kind of surgical procedure and breast augmentation surgery is no different. The severity of a blood clot can vary wildly and many times people have blood clots that end up dissolving on their own and doing no damage at all but if the clot does happen to lodge in a smaller vein or artery then it can cause some serious damage up to and including stroke or death.

Symptoms of a Blood Clot

The symptoms will vary dramatically depending on where the clot finally comes to rest. As it travels through your blood stream you will not likely feel any significant effect until it lodges somewhere that it can restrict the blood flow significantly. The effects will vary by organ but some of these listed below are things to look out for:

• With atrial fibrillation, in which no symptoms occur until a thrombus embolizes.
• If the clot embolizes to an artery located in the brain then the symptoms will be that of stroke.
• If the affected artery supplies blood to the bowels, then symptoms may include abdominal pain and blood in your stool.
• If a leg or arm is affected, then the blood clot or deep venous thrombosis will function like a dam and block the blood flow returning to your heart. This often causes inflammation of the vein, aka thrombophlebitis. Som eof the more common symptoms will include swelling, redness and discoloration, warmth to the touch, and possibly pain that may range from mild to severe.
• The major complication of a DVT occurs when the clot breaks off and makes its way to the lung, causing what is known as a pulmonary embolism. Common symptoms include chest pain and shortness of breath and this is a potentially life threatening issue depending upon the extent of the lung tissue that loses blood supply. If you suffer from these symptoms, do NOT wait to see if you get better, see your doctor immediately and hit the emergency room if necessary.

When to Seek Medical Care

If you have recently had surgery and you experience ANY of the symptoms above then you should consider seeing a doctor immediately. When we say immediately we really mean right now as in emergency room type visits. You are far better off to see a doctor and not need to than to not see one and really need it. Blood clots can be extremely debillitating and can very easily cost you your life.

Your doctor can quickly surmise what type of care you may need and will prescribe the right course of treatment. Treatment can range from warm compresses to surgery depending on what type and where the clot is located.