by Sarah Warburton

Are you gearing up for holiday travel? Whether you’re traveling by plane, train, or automobile, take care to avoid a hidden danger that affects thousands of people each year. Local Vascular Surgeon, Ulises Baltazar MD, RVT, FACS says, “No matter how you travel, sitting motionless for long periods may put you at an increased risk for deep vein thrombosis (DVT), a blood clot in a vein deep within your muscles. If a blood clot breaks free from your deep veins, it can travel through the bloodstream and become fatal.”

Maybe you’ve heard DVT called “economy class syndrome,” but sitting cramped in the backseat of a car or even driving for hours without stopping can increase your risk. Dr. Baltazar explains, “Poor blood flow in the veins of your legs increases the risk for DVT…and pushing a gas pedal isn’t enough to help. When you walk around an airport terminal or highway rest stop or do leg and foot exercises while sitting,  the muscles in your legs squeeze the veins and move blood to the heart. Be sure to drink plenty of fluid and limit coffee and alcohol. Studies also show that wearing compression stockings may help minimize the risk of developing DVT. In addition to extended traveling, your risk of DVT may be elevated if you have had surgery, a heart attack, stroke or congestive heart failure, a broken hip or leg, inherited blood clotting abnormalities, or cancer. You also have a greater chance of developing DVT if you are obese, are pregnant, nursing or taking birth control pills or have inflammatory bowel disease.”

After two surgeries on her foot and a flight from New York to Los Angeles, tennis star Serena Williams was rushed to the hospital after a DVT in 2011. Early diagnosis and treatment led to a full recovery…and she was ranked number one in the world in 2013. “Unfortunately,” says Dr. Baltazar, “DVT is often unrecognized because it often doesn’t happen until after you have traveled. The clots that form in the veins of your leg typically start coming off in little pieces a few days later…so it appears you are having a heart attack.” According to USA Today, in 2003 journalist and “Today” show co-anchor David Bloom was covering the war in Iraq, traveling for long periods of time in very cramped conditions. Although he complained of pain and cramping in his leg behind the knee, he didn’t seek treatment. Three days later he collapsed and died from a blood clot from his DVT at just age 39. That’s the worst case scenario…the kind of tragedy Dr. Baltazar is dedicating to preventing.

He says, “If you are concerned that you may suffer from Deep Venous Thrombosis (DVT), come see me. After a physical exam, I may order a duplex ultrasound test or a venogram test to confirm diagnosis. Since one of the warning signs of DVT is varicose veins, I’m always careful to examine all my patients to make sure their circulatory system is working as it should.”

Ulises Baltazar MD, RVT, FACS

now affiliated with the renowned Methodist Cardiovascular Surgery Associates

281-240-8400

16605 Southwest Freeway Ste 505

(in the Methodist Professional Building 3)