Testing for Venous Thrombosis (Blood clots)

Venous Thrombosis Testing

Venous thrombosis occurs when one or more blood clots form in the deep veins of the body.  This condition usually affects the legs, but can occur in other areas where there are deep veins.  Leg pain is among the primary symptom, however, some patients report no symptoms at all.

Venous thrombosis may develop from sitting for prolonged periods of time without movement.  If you sit for your job or travel in the car or airplane frequently, you may be more likely to develop this condition.

The condition is serious because of the blood clot formation.  A clot can break loose, traveling through the blood stream and lodging in the lungs.  The clot can cause blood flow to be blocked and result in a very serious problem, sometimes resulting in death.

Tests Use to Diagnose Venous Thrombosis

Below are the tests used to diagnose venous thrombosis after your doctor has conducted a physical examination.

Ultrasound

An ultrasound test uses a transducer to be placed over the area where the suspected clot is.  The transducer sends sound waves directly into the area, which travel through the tissue. Images are transmitted through a computer and if a clot exists it becomes visible on the screen.  It may be necessary that several ultrasounds be done over a period of days in order to determine where the clot is and if it is growing. If a new one has developed, several ultrasounds may be needed for detection.

Blood Test

Blood tests are helpful in determining if blood clots exist.  Large portions of patients with deep venous thrombosis have an increased amount of D dimer in their blood.  D dimer is a clot dissolving substance.  There is a specific blood test designed for detecting D dimer in the blood and is helpful in ruling out this condition.

CT and MRI

CT and MRI scanning can produce images that reveal clear views of the veins.  If there is a clot, the scan will reveal the problem.  There are times when a patient undergoes one of these types of scans for another medical problem and a clot is found.  These images can be helpful in determining the location of the clot and treatment required.

Venography

Venography consists of injecting a contrast agent, such as a dye, into a large vein in the leg or foot.  An x-ray is then conducted to produce images of the area.  Your doctor is able to look for clots in the veins of the legs and feet.

For those individuals who need anti-clotting regimens after surgery, AZ Heart Doctor’s Phoenix cardiologist, Dr. Yassir Batres, offers coumadin checks. In addition, the office has ultrasound testing for venous thrombosis testing. As a Double Board Certified cardiologist Mesa AZ trusts, AZ Heart Doctor accepts most insurances and has 2 locations for convenience.

Call 480.300.4646 for more information and scheduling today.