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Dr. Andrew Rynne
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Dr. Andrew Rynne

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Exp 50 years

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Had Surgery To Bypass A Blockage To The Foot, Had Stroke After Surgery. Taking Warferin. Does This Medicine Stop Clots?

My mum is 80 and has just had surgery in her leg to bypass a blockage to the foot . She has diabetes . She also has heart disease and irregular heart beat. Came home after surgery and was fine next day had a stroke which was diagnosed as a blood clot to the main artery to the brain. Left side paralysed. Consultant would not give her drug to disperse the clot as too old and not back on warferin, why is this if this drug is supposed to stop clots? aslo said he didnt want it to cause a bleed . I do not understand how this would happen when its supposed to free veins from clots. Also day afte stroke she ate soft foods and was put in a chair but then when back in bed was restless and waving arm all over. Are these good signs of possible recovery?
Fri, 31 May 2013
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Cardiologist,  's  Response
Dear patient

Sorry about the unfortunate events. Warfarin is only used for stroke prevention in certain situations, for example when the clot was formed in the heart and travelled to the brain. Given the diabetes and age, most likely this is not what happened to her; it is likely that she had a rupture of a small plaque of fat in one of the small arteries of the brain causing the stroke. The area around the stroke becomes fragile, and if we give blood thinners like coumadin the blockage may transfrom into a hemorrhage making things worse. The most important therapies that a patient like her would usually be prescribed are aspirin and cholesterol lowering pills, along with good diabetes and blood pressure control

In terms of her reaction, it is difficult to know; she needs therapy to recover and see how much function she can regain

Truly yours

Dr Brenes Salazar MD
Mayo Clinic
Cardiovascular Diseases
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Had Surgery To Bypass A Blockage To The Foot, Had Stroke After Surgery. Taking Warferin. Does This Medicine Stop Clots?

Dear patient Sorry about the unfortunate events. Warfarin is only used for stroke prevention in certain situations, for example when the clot was formed in the heart and travelled to the brain. Given the diabetes and age, most likely this is not what happened to her; it is likely that she had a rupture of a small plaque of fat in one of the small arteries of the brain causing the stroke. The area around the stroke becomes fragile, and if we give blood thinners like coumadin the blockage may transfrom into a hemorrhage making things worse. The most important therapies that a patient like her would usually be prescribed are aspirin and cholesterol lowering pills, along with good diabetes and blood pressure control In terms of her reaction, it is difficult to know; she needs therapy to recover and see how much function she can regain Truly yours Dr Brenes Salazar MD Mayo Clinic Cardiovascular Diseases