South Suburban Man Survives Post-Surgery Deep Vein Thrombosis Thanks to New Clot-Clearing Device

Like many people after outpatient surgery, Marco Roselli, 49, of Oak Lawn, was not worried about complications afterwards.  And, he was unaware that by just having surgery he was at an increased risk for developing a dangerous blood clot, or deep vein thrombosis (DVT) post surgery. 

According to a new University of Michigan study, patients have a 1 in 84 chance of developing a dangerous DVT following outpatient surgery. DVTs can break apart, travel to the lungs and heart (called a pulmonary embolism or PE), often causing instant death.

Unfortunately for Marco, he was not given anti-coagulants after his hernia surgery, known to prevent clotting.  Within days, his leg swelled to twice its normal size, almost three times.   At his local ER, he was diagnosed with a DVT and put on anti-coagulants to reduce it.

One month later, his DVT had gotten worse, the swelling was not down, he could only walk 50 feet at a time and had no energy to perform his work as a local dentist.  He was told by his physician that “there was not much more that we can do.” 

Fortunately, someone at that physician’s office told him about Dr. Scott Resnick, an interventional radiologist at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, known for his treatment of DVTs.

Less than 24 hours after meeting Marco, Dr. Resnick and his staff use a device called the Trellis. This new clot-removing device was inserted through a catheter in his lower leg to isolate, break up and gently suction out the very large clot.

“I am so happy to have my life back,” Marco explains.  “My swelling went down immediately and right away I regained my strength.” 

Just weeks later, Marco was back to work taking care of his own patients.  He credits Dr. Resnick and the new Trellis procedure with saving his life.

If you would like more information on the Trellis or to schedule an appointment with Dr. Resnick, please call:  312-926-8433.