Each year, about 350,000 Americans are diagnosed with Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT), a serious medical condition that causes blood clots to form in the deep veins of your body resulting in pulmonary embolism and possibly death. If a blood clot breaks loose and travels through your bloodstream, it can lodge in your lungs cutting off blood flow completely. The condition doesn’t always present obvious symptoms, so you might be at risk and not even realize it.

Signs of DVT
Telltale symptoms of Deep Vein Thrombosis include:
- Leg pain
- Leg swelling
- Discolored or red skin
- A feeling of warmth
If you experience any of the symptoms of DVT, it’s important to seek professional medical help. The sooner you receive a diagnosis, the sooner you can take steps to improve your circulation and health.
Risk of DVT
Factors that increase your risk of Deep Vein Thrombosis include inheriting a blood-clotting disorder, experiencing an injury to one or more of the veins in your legs, and periods of prolonged bed rest.
You’re also more likely to experience DVT if you’re overweight, smoke, or take oral contraceptives.
DVT Diagnosis
To diagnose Deep Vein Thrombosis, Dr. Gerges reviews your medical history and asks about your symptoms and lifestyle. Afterward, he conducts a physical exam, feeling your legs for areas of swelling or tenderness and looking for signs of redness or skin discoloration.
If Dr. Gerges thinks you’re at risk of a blood clot, he orders an ultrasound. An ultrasound is a diagnostic imaging technique that uses high-frequency soundwaves to take pictures of the soft tissues in your body. Ultrasounds can pinpoint blood clots early on before they break off and trigger an embolism.
DVT Treatment
Treatment for Deep Vein Thrombosis depends on the severity of your symptoms and your risk of the blood clot breaking free and entering your lungs. Usually, Dr. Gerges recommends a combination of healthy lifestyle changes and prescription medication. You might benefit from:
- Blood thinners
- Clot-busting medication
- Compression stockings
- Vena cava filter (device placed in a large vein in the middle of your body to prevent blood clots from reaching your lungs)
During treatment, it’s important to stay physically active. The more you exercise and move around, the easier it is for your blood to circulate as it should.
Three Convenient Texas Locations:
EL PASO
Next to Davita/El Paso Kidney
11989 Pellicano Dr., Suite D
El Paso, TX 79936
Phone: 915-855-6508
Fax: 915-855-6509
Email
SAN ANTONIO
Medical Park at Stone Oak
19234 Stonehue
San Antonio, TX 78258
Phone: 210-481-9544
Fax: 210-481-9545
Email
ABILENE
Hendrick Health #1
6300 Regional Plaza, #475
Abilene, TX 79606
Phone: 325-268-4040
Fax: 325-268-4041
Email
Symptoms
Treatments
- Ambulatory Phlebectomy
- Angioplasty
- Arteriovenous Fistula (AV Fistulogram)
- Arteriovenous Graft (AV Graft)
- Atherectomy
- Bypass Surgery
- Central Venous Catheter (CVC)
- Chemo Port
- Compression Stockings
- Deep Vein Thrombosis
- Dialysis Access Management
- Endovascular Fistula Creation
- Endovenous Laser Ablation
- Peripheral Artery Disease (P.A.D.)
- Peritoneal Dialysis
- Port-a-Cath
- Sclerotherapy
- Spider Veins
- Stent
- Varicose Veins