Blood clots are extremely dangerous and if not addressed can lead to serious health issues. Unfortunately, they are becoming more and more prevalent. A blood clot can form in any blood vessel in the body. It can end up in the lungs, heart, brain, or other areas if it breaks away and travels through the blood. These migrations can lead to serious complications because the clot disrupts the flow of blood to important organs which can lead to a heart attack or stroke. During the pandemic there has been an increase in the number of blood clots which is worrisome for Dr. Blake Kramer, Interventional Radiologist at Hannibal Regional.
“People who got COVID or were staying inside for the last year have become less active than normal which is leading to an increased number of people with blood clots,” shares Dr. Kramer. “If you are experiencing leg pain, cramps, swelling, red/discolored skin on your leg, or a feeling of warmth in the affected leg, it is possible that you have developed a blood clot. Please seek medical attention if you are experiencing any of these symptoms.”
Dr. Kramer and the Interventional Radiology team at Hannibal Regional continue to do Inari thrombectomy procedures. This is a minimally invasive procedure performed using x-ray and ultrasound technology. The ClotTriever system is an FDA-cleared mechanical thrombectomy device designed specifically for removing large blood clots from large vessels to treat deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in a single session, without the need for thrombolytics or an ICU stay.
“Being able to offer this cutting-edge procedure is going to be a great benefit to our community. Before, patients would have to miss anywhere from one to two months of work depending on the severity of the clot. Now, I can usually have them back to work within a couple weeks,” says Dr. Kramer.
Hannibal Regional continues to invest in the most current technology to guide the community to BETTER health. For more information about this procedure, call the Interventional Radiology department at 573-248-5688.