Question:
Is the Greenfield Filter something that you can request?

I was reading about the recent passing of a AMOS member and was wondering if the greenfield filter is something that you can request the surgeon to do or not? Since it is more common for obese patients to have blood clots, why wouldn't this be something that is required to be done? Is there alternatives?    — horserider0146 (posted on April 28, 2003)

April 28, 2003
Alannah, Upon myre-search that I did when I was pre-op I asked the same question. Even asked PCP about it as well, what she told me is if the blood results came back showing a significant amount of clotting, or if I were prone to blood clots then t would be something to think about, everything came back ok on this end, How-ever I still felt like I needed one, I asked again, this time rather then asking my PCP I asked my WLS surgeron, he stated that they use blood thiners after surgery to prevent them, sometimes blood clots cannot be prevented, that is why it's up to us to get around and move the body as much as possible, more the toes, ankles, you name don't let that blood sit still for a moment. I did leg exercises as soon as they brought me too, after surgery.... I was up walking the hallways 1 hour after surgery, just to be on the safe side, I"m now 11 months post op and before I go to sleep I still stretch and do ankle and leg exercises just to keep it flowing.... Hope this helps. Post op 11 months down 128 pounds.
   — tannedtigress

April 28, 2003
I did everything possible to avoid another blood clot (DVT) since my history of blood clots put me at risk. 2 days after my surgery I resumed Lovenox, an anti coagulant and on the 3rd day I went back on Coumadin/Warfarin. On the 4th day I went home. I did my walking, wore my compression stockings and foot pumps while lying in bed all along as I was supposed to. When I got home on Friday night I noticed "tightness" in my right calf (my previous DVT's were in my left leg and it is still has "valve" problems). My wife and I felt like it was muscle tightness and massaged and stretched it all Saturday and Sunday morning. I knew the symptoms of DVT, i.e., pain, heat and swelling. All I was having was pain but on Sunday afternoon I noticed it was warm. I went back to the hospital right then so I could get a doppler study done that would confirm a clot. It did. The reason it wasn't swollen was because it was not fully occluded (blocked). I was very close to my anticoagulant "therapeutic" range by this time but the decision was made to increase the Lovenox dose and send me home since I had the Greenfield filter implant done about 2 weeks earlier and I could do at home with injections what they could do at the hospital. I started passing blood on Tuesday night and it became quite heavy on Wednesday morning. Back to the hospital where all anticoagulant therapy was halted because I was well out of my anticoagulant "therapeutic" range. I'm home now after a 3 day observation/stay at the hospital and the bleeding appears to have stopped. Now I have to get my anticoagulant levels back in range. I had my blood tested today and the results should be in tomorrow morning (fingers crossed) I have also found out that I have a genetic predisposition to clotting problems called "Factor 5 Leiden". 5-8% of the US population of European descent carries this gene mutation. Add obesity and low activity due to surgery to the equation and you have a prescription for danger. My advice would be to be tested for Factor 5 Leiden and beg for the Greenfield filter if you are in the at risk population. We were all over this issue and it still proved problematic.
   — Steve L.

April 28, 2003
My surgeon asked a few questions and when I told him my mother died of a clot, he said I'd have a filter. Yes, had pumps and thinners....yes got clots.....bedridden for 3 weeks, physical therapy to learn to walk again........but 3 DIFFERENT dr's told me that the filter saved my life!!! Ask for it!!! It won't hurt to have it, and it will save your life if you get a clot.
   — Phiddy B.

April 29, 2003
I have edema in my legs and my wls Dr told me that would make me at risk for the clots. He gave me a prescription for the filter. I took it to my pcp and he scheduled the precedure at our local hospital's day surgery. They did it in 15 minutes. I had to lay quietly for 3 hrs afterwards. You can get a temporary one or a permament one. I have never regretted it and my insurance paid all but $43.00 for it.I have never gotten a clot but feel so much better about it. Good luck.Leslie Elwood
   — Leslie E.