You're at greater risk for a blood clot when you're in the hospital and not moving around as you usually do. To help prevent blood clots after surgery, you may need to take blood thinners for a while to help prevent a deep vein thrombosis (DVT). A DVT is a blood clot in a deep vein or a blood clot that travels to your lungs, also known as a pulmonary embolism.

AFib causes a fast, irregular heartbeat that makes your heart’s upper chambers quiver, rather than pump with force. This causes blood to pool in your heart, which can lead to a blood clot.

If you have an artificial heart valve, it changes the way blood flows through your heart. Blood movement can also slow down around the valve itself. Both can cause a blood clot. If your valve replacement is made from animal or human tissue (biological valve), you’ll only need to take blood thinners for a short time after surgery while your body adjusts to the new valve.

Atherosclerosis is a condition caused when your blood vessels become narrow from a buildup of a fatty substance called plaque. This condition can raise your risk of a blood clot. Plaque that forms in the arteries in your heart is called coronary artery disease. When plaque forms in your arms and legs, it’s known as peripheral artery disease. Your doctor may also prescribe blood thinners if you’re at risk for a stroke or you’ve had one, or if you have a deep vein thrombosis.

Once your doctor refers you to the anticoagulation clinic, you'll meet with a health professional who’ll educate you about blood thinners and answer your questions. You'll have a few visits the first few weeks you begin therapy to make sure the dose is right for you and that you're responding well.

• After that, you’ll have monthly visits. Each appointment will take about 15 minutes. The health professional will:
• Take a blood sample from your finger to see how long it takes for your blood to clot; this is your international normalized ratio INR result. It lets them know if they need to adjust the dose for you. They may send the sample to the lab for a closer look.
• Talk to you about how you’re feeling and ask you about any new symptoms or side effects your experiencing and to make sure there are no interactions with other medicines you may be taking.
• Schedule your follow-up appointment for the next month.

You’ll learn about your condition, the medicines you’re taking and any side effects to watch for. Our specialist will help to make sure you have the information you need to care for yourself. 

If you can’t go to PeaceHealth for monthly appointments, caregivers can often come to you, providing expert care in the comfort of your own home and coordinating with our anticoagulation clinic to manage your medication.

To make sure you don’t have any problems, anticoagulation specialists at PeaceHealth will talk to you about all the medicines you’re taking, including over-the-counter supplements. They’ll also help keep you safe by telling you about possible food and medicine interactions.

For your safety, it’s important that you talk to your doctor before having any procedure or surgery, including dental procedures. Your doctor and the anticoagulation specialists will look at your blood-clotting history and your risk for blood clots to determine if you need to stop taking your blood thinners for a short time. You’ll get instructions for taking your medicine before and after your procedure.