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BryanLGH Offers Innovative New Treatment for Blood Clots
Lincoln, Nebr. - Physicians at BryanLGH Medical Center are performing a new, advanced treatment for patients suffering from deep vein thrombosis or DVT. The treatment uses a newly FDA approved Trellis Infusion System, designed to increase the effectiveness of traditional “clot-busting” drugs. It also reduces the risk of bleeding associated with these drugs.Forty-year-old Oakland, Iowa resident Barbara Sipherd was having severe pain from her groin to ankle when she arrived at BryanLGH Medical Center in a wheelchair. Michael Budler, MD, interventional radiologist, was able to remove the severe blood clot with this new minimally invasive procedure. “Only hours after the procedure, I was able to walk out of the hospital,” she states.
DVT occurs when a blood clot forms in large veins, usually in the legs, leading to either partially or completely blocked circulation. The condition may result in serious health complications such as a pulmonary embolism (PE) and even death if not diagnosed and treated effectively.
The Trellis system utilizes a technique called “pharmaco-mechanical” thrombolysis. This minimally invasive, interventional treatment is used in conjunction with a drug regimen that assists in dissolving the clot and is part of the patient’s standard of care. “This newer technique provides rapid, effective and safer treatment for patients suffering from acute DVT,” states Dr. Budler. “Patients are pain-free and able to return to their life almost immediately.”
Risks for developing DVT include prolonged sitting (such as on long plane or car trips) or bed rest. It also may be caused by recent surgery (especially hip, knee or female reproductive surgery), fractures, and childbirth within the last 6 months. Deep venous thrombosis is most common in adults over age 60.
For more information about the Trellis procedure, call 481-3095.
