The Hemophilia and Thrombosis Center of Nevada

2020 W. Palomino Lane Suite 110

Las Vegas, Nevada 89106

702-385-2702

since July 1, 2009

Last updated July 1, 2009

webmaster RIS

OTHER AGENTS

DURATION OF WARFARIN AND ULTRASOUND TESTING

I got a DVT in my left leg while I was in the hospital having an
operation on my intestines which had become blocked due to adhesions. I
have been on Warafin now for 6 months and just had a Doplar done on my
leg and was told I still had residual  effects from the clot. My
question is how long do I have to stay on Warafin?  I will be seeing my
Dr. soon and was just wondering what the general consensus  on this is
as I really don't want  to be on any long term  medication. My leg does
not hurt and is not swollen.         Thank you
 

This question has been well studied in thousands of patients.  We know that after one blood clot, six months of therapy with warfarin is necessary.  However, there is some investigation  that longer durations of therapy may be recommended. 

There is some investigation that demonstrates that persons who develop blood clots because of reversible factors may require shorter durations of therapy, six weeks to three months.  This includes people that develop blood clots because of trauma or surgery that do not have an inherited predisposition to the development of blood clots.  You may fit into this category depending upon your medical history and laboratory testing.

If you look at ultrasounds in patients that have had one blood clot, at one year, a majority of them are NOT normal.  There is the development of new blood channels for the blood flow.  Therefore, typically, a repeat ultrasound examination is not recommended unless there is evidence of complications.  In many of the research studies, repeat imaging studies are NOT done.  Therefore, I would not be concerned regarding your recent doppler examination.

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Last modified: June 30, 2009