Patients considering plastic surgery are asked a series of medical questions as it relates to their health history. One of the questions concerns a history of blood clots. According to a new study we should also be concerned with family members, specifically siblings who have experienced blood clots. Surgery itself can increase the risk but other factors such as birth-control pills, and obesity can also be contributing factors. Procedures such as abdominoplasty and facelift can be of concern because patients may be inactive for long periods of time which can increase the risk of blood clots. Dr. Kim provides each patient with detailed pre-operative and post-operative instructions. Patients are instructed to walk around to keep blood circulation moving. It is rare that blood clots will occur after surgery; however, patients must cooperate and follow instructions to reduce the possibility. According to The Los Angeles Times having a sibling with a history of developing blood clots in the leg and pelvis may boost the likelihood of developing the condition.
A study released today in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Assn. looked at how family relationships may factor into the risk of having venous thromboembolism, the development of blood clots in the veins. Swedish researchers looked at 45,362 cases of people ages 10 to 69 who were hospitalized for the condition.
People ages 10 to 19 who had a brother or sister with the clotting disorder were at almost five times greater risk for the disorder than those who didn’t have a sibling with the condition. For those ages 60 to 69 the risk was twice as great if they had a sibling with a history of the disorder.