[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2023\/06\/lindseys-thrombectomy-story\/#Article","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2023\/06\/lindseys-thrombectomy-story\/","headline":"Lindsey’s Story: How Vascular Surgery for Blood Clots Helped Her Get Back on Her Feet","name":"Lindsey’s Story: How Vascular Surgery for Blood Clots Helped Her Get Back on Her Feet","description":"As a dedicated\u00a0UPMC Lititz\u00a0operating room nurse, Lindsey Roth is always on her feet. So, when she first experienced lower back and groin pain in early February, she initially dismissed it as a pulled muscle or job-related body aches. For a week, the pain intensified, and her leg started to swell. \u201cAs the week went on, […]","datePublished":"2023-06-23","dateModified":"2025-09-03","author":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.upmc.com\/services\/heart-vascular","name":"Heart and Vascular Institute","url":"https:\/\/www.upmc.com\/services\/heart-vascular","sameAs":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/heart-and-vascular-institute\/","parentOrganization":"UPMC"},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"UPMC HealthBeat","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/UPMC-HealthBeat-Logo.png","url":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/UPMC-HealthBeat-Logo.png","width":600,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/GettyImages-1162119276.jpg","url":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/GettyImages-1162119276.jpg","height":867,"width":2000},"url":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2023\/06\/lindseys-thrombectomy-story\/","about":["Health Topics A-Z","Heart and Vascular Health","UPMC Stories"],"wordCount":888,"articleBody":"As a dedicated\u00a0UPMC Lititz\u00a0operating room nurse, Lindsey Roth is always on her feet.So, when she first experienced lower back and groin pain in early February, she initially dismissed it as a pulled muscle or job-related body aches.For a week, the pain intensified, and her leg started to swell.\u201cAs the week went on, it got more swollen and painful,\u201d she says. \u201cNurses can be bad patients, so I just kind of brushed it off and thought it would go away.\u201dLindsey\u2019s swelling and pain persisted, and she finally sought medical help. An initial ultrasound revealed no blood clots but did show abnormal blood flow from her leg into her pelvis.She did some research, and the results suggested May-Thurner syndrome, a vascular condition affecting a vein in the pelvis.\u201cI jokingly posted on social media, and a couple of people I knew said they had that,\u201d she says. \u201cI realized it wasn\u2019t all that uncommon. So, I advocated for further testing, but they were going to have me wait two weeks to get that testing done.\u201dAfter more than a week of working through the pain, she finally told her UPMC co-workers about her symptoms. A doctor at the hospital urged her to head to the emergency department immediately for additional testing.There, specialists told her she had deep vein thrombosis, a blood clot located deep in her leg. She also had a pulmonary embolism, which is a blood clot that restricts blood flow to an artery in the lung.She needed emergency \u2014 and potentially lifesaving \u2014 vascular surgery.A colleague recommended\u00a0the team at\u00a0UPMC Lititz, and Lindsey says she feels \u201cblessed\u201d by that recommendation.Lindsey’s Journey to Vascular SurgeryDuring and after her\u00a0thrombectomy,\u00a0a surgical procedure to remove the blood clot, Lindsey says the bedside manner, professionalism, and compassionate communication she experienced afforded her the \u201cbest possible outcome I could\u2019ve asked for.\u201d\u201cThe surgery and the recovery were nothing like I thought they were going to be. I really needed to get this done as soon as possible, especially because I am a nurse and on my feet all day. The faster you get this fixed, there\u2019s less likelihood that you\u2019ll have extensive swelling afterward, and some people have swelling for life after this, so the fact that this procedure happened so quickly greatly improved my quality of life and my livelihood.\u201d\u201cIf I waited any longer, I could have swelling issues, the clot could have migrated, and I literally could have died,\u201d Lindsey adds. \u201cBut the process was so easy and not stressful.\u201dHer recovery was swift, with the surgery\u2019s dime-length incision on the back of her leg healing surprisingly fast. She had little to no bruising and almost no pain during recovery, she says. Because of her pulmonary embolism, she had some shortness of breath, but \u201cas far as the procedure itself, I probably could have gone back to work immediately if that was all I had wrong with me.\u201d\u201cThe incision was so minuscule and healed amazingly,\u201d she says. \u201cRest was really important in my recovery, and now I don\u2019t struggle with swelling in my leg. I\u2019m up and down at work all the time, and I\u2019m not doing anything different except taking some medication and wearing compression socks. I feel like I did before I had the blood clot. I feel normal.\u201dLindsey\u2019s experience inspired her to continue to go above and beyond for patients in her own career.\u201cI love to help people, and I\u2019ve always wanted that, but it makes you feel very blessed and want to go the extra mile for patients even more than I had before,\u201d she says. \u201cI really felt like I didn\u2019t have to worry about anything and that everything was taken care of.\u201dAs many as 900,000 American adults develop a deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Roughly one-third to one-half of those who develop a deep vein thrombosis will have long-term complications such as swelling, pain, or discoloration. It\u2019s vital to seek treatment right away to prevent serious complications.Some\u00a0symptoms\u00a0associated with deep vein thrombosis include swelling, pain or tenderness in the leg, arm, and\/or groin area, red or discolored skin, larger-than-normal veins near the skin, and more.For those experiencing similar symptoms, Lindsey\u2019s advice is to see a doctor or visit an emergency room as soon as possible.\u201cIf you know something isn\u2019t right, go to the ED,\u201d she says. \u201cIf I had just gone to the ED at the beginning, maybe everything would have moved a little bit faster for me, and I wouldn\u2019t have been in pain for a week. Don\u2019t be silly like me and not want to burden anyone. Even if it\u2019s just a pulled muscle, don\u2019t ignore it. Just go get it checked out.\u201dUPMC offers experienced vascular surgeons and leading-edge technology to provide patients with access to the most advanced, minimally invasive treatment options that reduce recovery time, blood loss, pain, and complications.To learn more about vascular services available near you,\u00a0visit our website.Editor's Note: This article was originally published on June 23, 2023, and was last reviewed on September 3, 2025."},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"2023","item":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2023\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"06","item":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2023\/\/06\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Lindsey’s Story: How Vascular Surgery for Blood Clots Helped Her Get Back on Her Feet","item":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2023\/06\/lindseys-thrombectomy-story\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]