Vim & Vigor - Summer 2019 - CH - 55

"My recovery was great," says
McKenna, 68. "I have no residual symptoms. I am doing fine. Dr. Safadi was
right on top of it and did some amazing
things," she says.

A Dangerous Condition

"Deep vein thrombosis is basically an
extensive clot in the deep venous system, the main veins that drain the leg,"
Safadi explains. "It's a very common, but
dangerous, condition. Mrs. McKenna
had an ultrasound in the Emergency
Department that showed severe, extensive thrombosis involving her whole leg."
If a portion of the clot broke off and
traveled to McKenna's lungs, it could
cause a pulmonary embolism, which
could be fatal within a few hours.
Removing the clot as quickly and as
safely as possible became a life-ordeath priority.
"If that clot had broken off and floated
to the lungs, it could have killed her,"
Safadi says.
To clear the clot, Safadi conducted a
catheterization procedure that involves
inserting technology called EKOS, a tiny
device that uses sound waves to push
clot-busting medication deep into the
clot itself. In this case, the medication
used was low-dose tissue plasminogen

Cardiologist Anas Safadi, MD, is able to restore blood flow to the leg and eliminate DVT
blood clots using technology called EKOS at St. Mary Medical Center.

activator or tPA, the same drug administered to stroke patients. This procedure
causes the clot to dissolve rapidly.
The next day, Safadi performed a balloon angioplasty with a stent to open
a narrow section of the main vein in
McKenna's left leg. When the iliac vein
is compressed, it is called May-Thurner
syndrome, which increases the risk
for DVT.

Early Treatment Best
McKenna admitted to feeling some
trepidation before and during her

CALL

Get the Blood Flowing
For symptoms of DVT or other circulatory issues in the legs, call the
LIVE program at St. Mary Medical Center in Hobart at 219-703-LIVE
(5483) to make an appointment or learn about upcoming peripheral
vascular disease (PVD) screenings. Cardiologist Anas Safadi, MD, is
affiliated with St. Mary Medical Center and Community Hospital in
Munster, with offices in Hobart, Merrillville and Winfield.

procedures, but she credits Safadi and
his fellow physicians and cath lab team
for putting her at ease.
"It's not like they put you under general anesthesia and you're knocked out,"
she explains. "You're aware of most
of what goes on, and he made me feel
comfortable. He got me through it. It
was scary and didn't feel really good, but
it was worth it!"
"Nearly 30 to 40 percent or more of
patients with extensive DVT go on to
develop chronic lower extremity pain
and swelling known as post-thrombotic
syndrome," Safadi says. "These patients
experience significant pain that greatly
diminishes their quality of life. Using
EKOS to treat extensive DVT greatly
reduces the chance post-thrombotic
syndrome will develop."
"These patients are best treated
early on," Safadi continues. "That
is where you get the best results.
Although we can do chronic DVT intervention with patients who have had
DVT more than six months ago, it is
easiest and best done within two to six
weeks of the diagnosis." ■

SUMME R 2019

55
Vim & Vigor - Summer 2019 - CH

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