1/7/2008 - Daily
Deep Vein Thrombosis: Knowing Your Risk for Blood Clots

Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) affects about two million Americans annually, mostly in men and women over 40. DVT occurs when a blood clot develops in a vein deep in the body. It can lead to serious conditions like pulmonary embolism, which blocks blood flow when the clot travels to the lungs. Blood clots that form in the invisible "deep veins" can be an immediate threat to your life, according to the Vascular Disease Foundation. Joining this Patient Power program to shed light on this potentially fatal condition is leading expert Dr. Andrew Schafer. Dr. Schafer is chairman of the Department of Medicine and the E. Hugh Luckey Distinguished Professor of Medicine at the Weill Cornell Medical College, and also Physician-in-Chief of the New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center in New York.

Le Keisha Ruffin, a wife, mother and homemaker was experiencing excruciating pain for quite a while. The pain was so sharp in her chest and side that it felt like someone was literally stabbing her over and over again in the same spot. Mrs. Ruffin later went in for an EKG, a CT-Scan, a Venous Doppler and many other tests. When the ER doctor gave Le Keisha the results of all of the tests, she was informed that she had a right lower extremity DVT, which caused one of the largest blood clots that her doctor had ever seen. Furthermore, the doctor informed Le Keisha that part of the blood clot had already broken off, traveled through her heart and hit the lungs causing a Pulmonary Embolism. Don’t miss Le Keisha’s incredible story of overcoming an illness she was sure would take her life.

As an authority in the areas of hemostasis, thrombosis, platelet and vascular cell biology, Dr. Schafer highlights an illness few are familiar with. Dr. Schafer gives us a clearer picture of the meaning of DVT, what causes DVT, early warning signs, treatment options and the importance of DVT awareness.

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