Need some thoughts on this situation...20 yr old male has blood clot

Scuvy · 03-18-2009, 03:23 PM

Well last week i woke up with my right arm all swollen up. Went to the doctor and found out that I have a blood clot in my right shoulder.I've been lifting weights for 3-4 years and I guess the muscles pushed the major artery against my clavicle bone.I had surgery the next day and I'm still recovering. I need your opinions on the doctor, out of all the time i was there i didn't see him more than 10 minutes ( i know their busy), he says that i should get my rib taken out so that i can lift weights. He goes ahead and makes an appointment, without even talking to my parents/or talking to me. It makes me worried because i only see the doctor 10 minutes and here I am seeing another doctor for a major surgery.I asked the doctor when i can go back to work, his reply was he's gotta make a call. What? i was thinking, who you gonna call Napa auto parts? He wouldn't answer my question directly, always gave me that reply, i gotta make a call. also i'm trying to save up money for college, but all this surgery and hospital bills is just gonna run me dry. I am willing to stop lifting weights and just run, and eat right. So basically what im asking is just i go ahead and see this doctor, see what he as to say/ if I do, am i gonna be waking up in the surgery room without me even know whats going on? I also have to get lab work done friday and im seeing a family doctor(known her all my life) and see what her opinion is. Any opinions would be great.

Scott

subpolarbear · 03-18-2009, 03:50 PM

I would think you need to find a doctor that your comfortable with. One that answers your questions directly.

ybarrama · 03-18-2009, 04:00 PM

I would ask for a second opinion and see a doctor who will ask your questions directly. No need for an unnecessary surgery, but I could see how it would be beneficial.

paul0616 · 03-18-2009, 11:27 PM

I agree on the second opinion. Doctors can be nerdy, with good medical knowledge, but poor people skills, so you have to bear that in mind. Your doctor may be good, but its your body, and you should always get a second opinion before getting a surgery. Sometimes even a third opinion.

Kahuna-McAuley · 03-19-2009, 04:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ybarrama

I would ask for a second opinion and see a doctor who will ask your questions directly. No need for an unnecessary surgery, but I could see how it would be beneficial.

Im not having a go here man, just genuienly curious... How would the surgery the doctor advised be of benifit? I cant really see how they relate?

melon · 03-19-2009, 05:56 AM

It is very strange for you to get a clot in the arm, usually they happen in the legs. Did you have any blood tests done, or an ultrasound (Doppler)? Or maybe an angiogram?

Very unusual for all this to be arranged without proper investigation. Have you been put on any medications, such as warfarin (coumadin) or admitted for anticoagulation?

This doctor sounds dodgy to me, see another, or if your arm is still swollen go to the ER. You don't want this blood clot ending up in your lungs.

|}373r/\/\1n3|) · 03-19-2009, 07:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by melon

It is very strange for you to get a clot in the arm, usually they happen in the legs. Did you have any blood tests done, or an ultrasound (Doppler)? Or maybe an angiogram?

Very unusual for all this to be arranged without proper investigation. Have you been put on any medications, such as warfarin (coumadin) or admitted for anticoagulation?

This doctor sounds dodgy to me, see another, or if your arm is still swollen go to the ER. You don't want this blood clot ending up in your lungs.

I totally agree with this. The doctor had to do some type of diagnostic imaging in order to give you a diagnosis of a blood clot. Probably just a CT scan or MRI since it didn't sound like they did anything invasive. If it was indeed a blood clot, then they should have DEFINITELY prescribed you some type of anticoagulation med? No doubt about it, go see any doctor for a second opinion BUT I highly doubt your common family practice doc would be the most reliable source...in other words, go see a specialist in the cardiovascular field if you can. No matter how expensive it is going to be, getting the right treatment (be that through surgery or whatever) is imperative. Not much good a college education is going to do you if that clot dislodges and travels to the brain and causes a stroke.

melon · 03-19-2009, 09:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by |}373r/\/\1n3|)

I totally agree with this. The doctor had to do some type of diagnostic imaging in order to give you a diagnosis of a blood clot. Probably just a CT scan or MRI since it didn't sound like they did anything invasive. If it was indeed a blood clot, then they should have DEFINITELY prescribed you some type of anticoagulation med? No doubt about it, go see any doctor for a second opinion BUT I highly doubt your common family practice doc would be the most reliable source...in other words, go see a specialist in the cardiovascular field if you can. No matter how expensive it is going to be, getting the right treatment (be that through surgery or whatever) is imperative. Not much good a college education is going to do you if that clot dislodges and travels to the brain and causes a stroke.

All this is spot on, though because of his symptoms (swollen arm) you have to assume this is a venous clot. If you think of human anatomy, the clot will go to the lungs through the right side of the heart. The only way it could get to the brain is if there was a septal defect of some kind.

It is very weird. Blood clots are pretty basic medicine really, any doctor that doesn't know how to treat them is an idiot. Even a family practice doctor should be able to treat them.

OP: Go to the hospital.

Crush505 · 03-19-2009, 09:41 AM

Why would the doctor want to take out a rib? Just wondering. Sounds painful as hell. Before I got that extreme I'd get two or three opinions and they'd better have some damned good reason. Like life threatening or something. Best wishes!

melon · 03-19-2009, 11:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Squatfreak

Why would the doctor want to take out a rib? Just wondering. Sounds painful as hell. Before I got that extreme I'd get two or three opinions and they'd better have some damned good reason. Like life threatening or something. Best wishes!

It is possible they think he has a cervical rib which could be causing a degree of venous stasis in that arm, making him at a higher risk for clots.

Bit of an odd diagnosis to jump to without any investigations though.

Scuvy · 03-19-2009, 11:12 AM

i posted on another forum and they said i had thoracic outlet syndrome. Here is what it says on the internet

here's a link
http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=a00336

its says that a person can try physical therapy and solve the problem. out of 5000 people more than 70% didn't have to have surgery. WTF? how come the doctor didn't tell me this, he's just trying to push me to have surgery.grrrr. I also didn't know what I really had until i posted on the internet either. Oh well I'm glad there's ways to solve this

|}373r/\/\1n3|) · 03-19-2009, 09:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by melon

All this is spot on, though because of his symptoms (swollen arm) you have to assume this is a venous clot. If you think of human anatomy, the clot will go to the lungs through the right side of the heart. The only way it could get to the brain is if there was a septal defect of some kind.

It is very weird. Blood clots are pretty basic medicine really, any doctor that doesn't know how to treat them is an idiot. Even a family practice doctor should be able to treat them.

OP: Go to the hospital.

Yes, you are correct. I didn't catch the part that he said his arm was swollen which would indicate venous involvement. Much more common for a pulmonary embolus than any brain involvement.