" I had a DVT during knee surgery ... Today I suffer with Post Thrombotic Syndrome"
Posted by John Berges on Wed, Mar 17, 2010 @ 06:56 PM
"I had a DVT during knee surgery ... Today I suffer with Post Thrombotic Syndrome"
Those words are repeated by individuals everyday throughout the U.S. It's true! Individuals undergoing any type of surgery are at risk of developing a deep vein thrombosis (DVT) during or immediately after undergoing surgery.
Why are individuals undergoing surgery at risk for developing a deep vein thrombosis (DVT)? Venous thrombosis or blood clots occur in veins of the lower limbs. During the course of surgery, patients are immobilized and as such calf-muscle contractions are not occurring. It's during this time that venous blood begins to pool and become stagnant.
The risk of developing a DVT increases as the surgical time increases and the blood begins to pool. It's this pooling of blood that leads to clot formation inside the lining of a vein wall. Clots gradually grow in size and either partially or completely occludes the vein. As the clot moves, the microscopic hair-like valves are damaged and become incompetent.

What is meant by incompetent valves?
Below is an illustration of the one-way valves found inside veins: The far left illustrates the valves when open as the calf-muscle contracts and forces the venous blood flow through the valves. The center illustration shows competent valves in the closed position during times when the individual is either standing or sitting. The closing of the valves prevents venous blood from flowing backward due to gravity. The far right illustration shows damaged valves when the thrombus (clot) destroyed the valves and causes the valves to become permanently incompetent, no longer opening and closing. This condition is known as Chronic Venous Insufficiency (CVI).
What are the early signs of CVI?
The first signs of CVI are ankle and leg swelling. Swelling occurs because the blood that has pooled in the veins causes abnormally high pressure in the veins. As the pressure and swelling increases, the skin of the legs may actually leak tiny drops of plasma, which is the pale yellow fluid part of blood. Eventually, the capillaries burst under the high pressure, releasing red blood cells and giving that area of the skin a reddish-brown discoloration. The discolored skin is easily broken by a scratch or bump. When this happens, the patient frequently develops leg ulcers, called venous stasis ulcers, which can become infected. An infected skin ulcer will ooze pus and have a foul-smelling discharge. If the infection spreads to the surrounding tissue, the patient develops a condition called cellulitis. Other symptoms of CVI include legs that ache, feel heavy, or feel tired, especially after long periods of standing; new varicose veins; leg skin that looks and feels leathery; and flaking and itching in the affected area of the legs.
Physicians usually refer to damaged venous valves as being incompetent or chronic venous insufficiency (CVI). This condition is also known as post thrombotic syndrome (PTS). Post thrombotic syndrome is a chronic lifetime problem that greatly affects a person's quality of life.

The VENOWAVE can successfully treat and manage PTS by delivering ten peristaltic compression cycles per minute. Each compression cycle helps enhances venous blood flow towards the heart and reduces venous hypertension. Reducing swelling helps control venous hypertension which helps improve arterial blood flow (oxygenated blood and nutrients) to the tissue of the lower limb. Improved circulation in the legs helps manage and prevent PTS from progressing to venous stasis ulcers. The VENOWAVE is a Class II medical device and requires a written prescription by the patient's surgeon. The VENOWAVE is applied and worn directly to the calf-muscle and worn throughout the day. The rechargeable battery system allows the wearer complete freedom. The VENOWAVE can be worn anywhere and at anytime of the day. Since the operation is totally silent, co-workers have no idea that the wearer is receiving constant dynamic compression therapy.
The VENOWAVE is your personal medical device for treating and managing your PTS condition, be it at home or at work.
Take the 1st Step, go to www.vasocare.net, and click-on Post Thrombotic Syndrome link. Learn how the VENOWAVE treats and manages PTS.
The 2nd Step is about downloading the Prescription/Rx form and asking your physician to prescribe the VENOWAVE for treating and managing your PTS condition. Only the VENOWAVE allows for complete disease state management by YOU!