Dear Dr. Roach: I am a 47-year-old woman. Five years ago, I developed a blood clot in my left leg after fracturing my ankle and being immobilized for several months. I was put on a blood thinner, and my ankle healed. Recently that leg started swelling again, and I went for an ultrasound. I was told that I have a chronic DVT, but that I dont need blood thinners. Why do I not need a blood thinner now when I did before? What does chronic mean? Why am I getting swelling again five years after the first clot? L.S.B.
Answer: Blood clots can happen in veins or…
