Blood clots

Did anyone worry about blood clots postop ?

It's always a possibility, but not one that I spent too much time worrying about.  

As long as you get up out of bed/your chair/whatever and walk, you reduce your chances for developing DVT.  The night of surgery I was walking around the ICU about twice an hour.  The staff was amazed that I was moving around so much.  Being on a pain pump certainly made it easier 

I didn't, but I also had to give myself daily Lovenox injections post-op for about 2 weeks to prevent them.  

I have a history of blood clots which motivates me to keep moving and drinking water. Facebook was cancelled.  TV watching is limited.  

I have a significant history of DVTs, so yes I was a bit concerned. My surgeon's general precautions were designed to avoid clots for all her patients (especially for those who ahd open surgery and we're going to have a longer recuperation period): get up every couple of hours to walk a bit, Lovenox injections twice a day (or, in my case, only until I had resumed my Coumadin and my anticoagulation levels were therapeutic again), and compression stockings on my lower legs all the time I was in the hospital except when up walking around.

Those are pretty standard orders while in the hospital and many surgeons write orders for Lovenox (or other blood thinner) injections at home for a couple of weeks, especially for those of us who are (were!) SMO and therefore generally less active anyway.

some surgeons who have patients with a history of DVTs will request that the patient have an IVC filter placed temporarily as a precaution (so that if you DO develop a blood clot, it won't be some a pulmonary embolism).  I did t an done placed for my RNY, but I did have one placed before another surgery about -8 months later. Because of my history, I opted to have a permanent one placed rather than one that would be removed two weeks after surgery. If you have a history of blood clots, you might want to discuss this option with your surgeon.

Lora