Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a condition in which a blood clot forms in a deep vein, most often in the legs or pelvis. Proper management is essential to relieve symptoms, prevent complications such as pulmonary embolism (PE), and protect long-term vein health.At SAVI, DVT management is personalized, evidence-based, and focused on both safety and long-term outcomes.Our interventional radiologists work closely with your referring physician AND the vascular surgery team to assess:
Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a condition in which a blood clot forms in a deep vein, most often in the legs or pelvis. Proper management is essential to relieve symptoms, prevent complications such as pulmonary embolism (PE), and protect long-term vein health.
At SAVI, DVT management is personalized, evidence-based, and focused on both safety and long-term outcomes.
Our interventional radiologists work closely with your referring physician AND the vascular surgery team to assess:
Not all DVTs are managed the same way. Our role is to help determine who benefits from medical therapy alone and who may need minimally invasive intervention.
Medical Management
For many patients, the cornerstone of DVT management is anticoagulation (blood-thinning medication). These medications prevent the clot from growing, reduce the risk of new clots forming, and allow your body to gradually break down the existing clot.
Medical management may also include:
Procedures are typically performed with conscious sedation rather than general anesthesia. Recovery is usually quick, with many patients noticing early improvement in pain and swelling. Hospital stays are often short, depending on the treatment approach. We aim to treat patients in a single session, but some patients require an overnight stay while clot-dissolving medication is given and a second procedure session the next day.
Follow-up care focuses on:
Minimally Invasive Interventional Management
In selected patients—especially those with large (extending into the pelvis), acute (< 14 days old), or symptomatic clots (not getting better with medical therapy)—interventional management may be recommended to rapidly restore blood flow. Our goals are primarily to reduce the risk of long-term complications such as moderate to severe post-thrombotic syndrome, limb threatening ischemia and reduce acute pain.
Interventional options may include:
These treatments are performed through a small puncture in the neck, groin or behind the knee and are guided by advanced imaging, completely avoiding major surgery.
Missing info?
Mayfair’s interventional radiologists perform general IR procedures at Rockyview General Hospital and interventional vascular procedures at the Peter Lougheed Centre in Calgary.
