There are certain common post-surgical complications that can be very threatening to the health of a patient after the procedure has been completed.
One of these complications can be cause significant harm and may even be potentially life-threatening.
Deep Vein Thrombosis, which is typically referred to as DVT, is a condition caused by a blood clot occurring in a deep vein.
These clots can lead to pain and swelling, but are most dangerous for their ability to cause a pulmonary embolism.
Blood clots can form after surgical procedures, especially when patients are required to be immobile, bed-ridden, or in a wheel chair for a significant period of time as a result of a surgery.
Muscle activity from walking can be enough to promote blood flow and prevent clotting, but in many surgery patients, this is not an option and blood clots can occur if the proper steps are not taken.
A blood clot can form in the deep veins of a person's leg, generally in the pelvic cavity or in a femoral artery.
If a section or an entire blood clot travels from its initial location it becomes an embolus that can travel and cause clotting in other areas.
If the embolus arrives in the lungs it can cause a potentially life-threatening pulmonary embolism.
A pulmonary embolism causes damage to sections of tissue in the lungs and as a result can cause damage to other body parts.
A pulmonary embolism can cause shortness of breath because of the damage to lung tissue.
It can also be marked by sharp pain when the lungs expand.
But a pulmonary embolism and the deep vein thrombosis that leads to it do not always cause symptoms that act as a warning to the patient.
A pulmonary embolism can be life-threatening if it is not detected.
It is crucial that a surgery patient is aware of these risks and potential post-surgical complications.