During the last few days of her long recovery from pneumonia,
36-year-old Darlene Rinon, a registered nurse, began to expe-
rience what she described as classic calf pain.
“For a brief second DVT crossed my mind, but I was too
young, I thought,” Darlene says.
Deep vein thrombosis, commonly referred to as DVT, is
a blood disorder resulting in the formation of a blood clot
(thrombus) inside a deep vein, usually in the calf or upper leg.
The thrombus keeps blood in the vein from flowing back to
the heart. Patients often experience severe pain, swelling and
discoloration in the leg.
“When I was finally able to get out of bed, I had trouble
walking, and within a couple hours my leg was really swollen
and had turned a purplish-red color,” Darlene says.
Left untreated, DVT can lead to a potentially life-threatening
condition called pulmonary embolism, in which a portion of
the clot breaks off, sending pieces through the bloodstream,
which can cut off blood flow.
Being a nurse, Darlene knew the potential ramifications if
the clot were to break loose and travel to her lungs. “The ride
to the ER was very scary,” she says.
After being immediately diagnosed with DVT, Darlene was
treated at Saint Agnes with a device known as the Trellis. This
innovative treatment allows doctors to isolate the clot, ad-
minister clot-dissolving medications only to the blocked area,
and suction out the clot material – all in little more than half
an hour.
Before the Trellis, DVT was commonly treated with anti-
coagulation (blood-thinning) medications. These medications
are effective at preventing new clots and stopping existing
clots from growing, but there is still the risk of a clot breaking
off. Other complications include poor circulation in the legs,
Should you worry about DVT?
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Deep vein thrombosis
treatment using the
Trellis is only effective
if the clot is discovered
within six weeks of the
onset of symptoms. So
tell your doctor immedi-
ately if you or someone
you know suspects DVT,
and ask if the Trellis
could be an appropriate
treatment option. For
a physician referral, call
559-450-2000.
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swelling and leg pain, and foot wounds that won’t heal.
Unlike more risky treatments, which put clot-dissolving medi-
cation directly in the clot where it is released systemically, the
Trellis uses two balloons, one above and one below the clot, to
keep the medication only where it is needed.
“With the Trellis system, we’re able to keep the powerful
medication confined to a focused area, reducing the risk of
bleeding,” says Interventional Radiologist Paul Speece, MD.
Within just a week of having the procedure, Darlene was back
to normal and almost pain-free. Today, she’s feeling great and
back on the road to a healthy life.
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sign up, call
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On her day off,
Darlene Rinon
spends time biking
on Fresno’s Lewis S.
Eaton Trail.