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Blood Clots After Lap Band Surgery


Blood clots after lap band surgery: Stop smoking to minimize the risk


Blood clots is a general risk that is associated with any kind of weight loss surgery. If you are a lap band patient then also you are at the risk of blood clots. However, you can minimize the risk and symptoms of blood clots just by following some special guidelines related to this associated risk.

Know about blood clots and its associated risks:

Blood clots is also called as thrombus in medical terms. People who are over weight have a higher risk of this complication. It can be develop during and after any weight loss surgery. Blood clots after lap band surgery is an associated risk for lap band patients. It can be formed at veins or arteries but in case of lap band patients it is common in veins. Over weight persons can also experience this complication in arteries before the surgery. If any obese person is at higher risk of blood clots then s/he should not go through any type of weight loss surgery as it can increase the risk percentage. It is important to identify the symptoms of blood clots and get instant treatment to minimize the risk as in some severe cases blood clots may also lead to death of the patients. However, it is important to know that people having lap band surgery are at lower risk of blood clots after lap band surgery in comparison of other weight loss surgical procedure.



Symptoms of blood clots:

  • Pain and swelling in arms/legs
  • Discoloration or redness at infected parts
  • Feeling warmth at legs/arms
  • Chest pain
  • Low blood pressure
  • Difficulty in breathing
  • Fever
  • Dizziness, fainting or lightheadedness
  • Body parts like lips, skins changes to blue

If you have any of these symptoms then instantly call your doctor for treatment. It is difficult to identify blood clots inside the body in initial stage. Most of the time people having blood clots inside body are unaware of this risk. In some cases, thrombus problem that is initial stage of blood clots may turns into thromboembolism in which blood clots prevents oxygen to reach at certain body parts and weight loss surgery patients can be at higher risk in that situation.



Factors that can increase the chances of blood clots after lap band surgery:

  • Living in a polluted city or smoking
  • Patients having High blood pressure, diabetics or cancer
  • Long distance traveling more than 4 hours without any physical movement
  • Having a family history of blot clots or vascular/heart disease
  • Inadequate amount of exercise

Things that can reduce the chances of blood clots after lap band surgery:

  • Wearing loose clots
  • Regular exercise and physical activities
  • Improve blood flow by raising arms and legs up to 6 inches higher than heart
  • Reduce salt and stop smoking
  • Eat fish to increase omega-3 fatty acid inside body
  • Control cholesterol and blood pressure with proper prescriptions
  • Get blood thinners as prescribed by your doctor

How to minimize and treat blood clots after lap band surgery:

Patiences who are experiencing blood clots symptoms after lap band surgery should consult with their doctor immediately. Your surgeon will prescribed you blood thinners as per the requirements of your body. Anticoagulants, Thrombolytic treatments, “Clot buster” medications and Vena cava filters are some effective treatment options for blood clots. You should also follow the things that are helpful to reduce the symptoms of blood clots and mentioned above.

Blood clots after lap band surgery can be controlled by following proper guidelines given by surgeons. Your diets and drinks are also important factor to minimize risk and complications like blood clots after any kind of weight loss surgery.






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