Question:
is there anyway to prevent getting a blood clot?

is there anything the doctor can do to prevent me from getting a blood clot?    — k K. (posted on February 22, 2003)

February 22, 2003
Absolutely!! The biggest thing that can be done is walking after surgery. They had me up and walking 4 hours after surgery. The bodies natural defense against clots is located in the legs and walking stimulates them. I also had pressure boots on my feet while laying in the hospital bed. Lastly, for those of us that are considered a high risk, you may have to take blood thinner shots for a couple of weeks after surgery. I did. But walking is key. Open RNY 11-11-02 down 100lbs
   — dkinson

February 22, 2003
Things you can do to slightly improve your odds..... wiggle your ankles/feet (starting now) roundy-roundy, up & down, 10 X per hour. Do 10 deep breaths per hour. From now until several weeks after surgery.
   — vitalady

February 22, 2003
My surgeon now requires everyone com=ing from recovery to walk from the gurney in the hall to their bed in the room. I was so afraid of clots I insisted on walking right away this was before this new rule. They think it helped my recoivery and besides it got rid of that catheter. I said I will walk if you remove it./
   — bob-haller

February 23, 2003
Just get moving. My sadist surgeon makes you get out of bed 2 hours after surgery. I did it but thought I would die from the pain. Once I was up I went for a walk as that was preferable to the pain trying to lay back down again. LOL I also negotiated some a washing out of my mouth with water after I got out of bed. I did not sswallow anything but I could not take the dryness. For me I wanted the water more than the catheter out. Besides as painful as it was to get out of bed I didn't want to have to be getting to the bathroom quickly since they were pumping tons of fluids through to force the kidneys to keep working. I got my catheter out by the end of the 1st day post-op. By the end of the 1st day post-op I was doing walks by myself. By the time I went home the morning of the 3rd day post-op the nurses all told me I was doing way better than most of the WLS patients that come through there. I pushed the cart with my stuff on it to the main entrance and my mom rode in the wheelchair. They said I could walk out if I was up to it but they had to follow me in a wheelchair in case I got tired. I just wanted out! It will hurt to get up but the walking does help with gas and stuff too.
   — zoedogcbr