
General Information
A Short Description Of The Heart Functions and What has gone wrong?
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Arteries carry oxygen-rich blood from the heart, while veins return oxygen-poor blood.
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A thrombus (blood clot) can block blood flow in either.
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As the thrombus enlarges, it increasingly obstructs blood flow through the artery, potentially leading to serious health issues such as ischemic strokes or myocardial infarctions, depending on the arterial location.
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The clot can block blood flow where it formed, or it can break loose and travel elsewhere in your body.
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If a moving clot gets stuck in a critical area, it can cause life-threatening conditions like stroke and heart attack.
How is it fixed?
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A small incision is made at the access site, and a catheter is inserted into the artery or vein, allowing access to the thrombus
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Devices such as stent retrievers or aspiration catheters are introduced through the catheter to physically remove the clot
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Once the thrombus is removed, imaging techniques (such as fluoroscopy or angiography) may be used to confirm successful restoration of blood flow
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After successful thrombectomy, the catheter and any devices used are removed, and the insertion site is closed and secured
For more information
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Cleveland Clinic - Information on a thrombectomy