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Alternate Treatment For Blood Clots in Leg Drawing Medical Attention

By Lynne Adkins

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Removing blood clots in the leg may be a good choice for many patients.

Patients with leg clots are often treated with medicine, but new research shows that a minimally invasive procedure to remove the clot doesn't increase the death rate and will decrease the risk of developing a painful post-treatment condition.

Dr. Riyaz Bashir, an interventional cardiovascular specialist at Temple University Hospital, says this give patients a choice.

"We can actually be able to have a meaningful discussion with the patient that these are the risks of taking the clots out and this is your risk of developing a post-thrombotic syndrome," he says.

He adds that removing the clot does present a higher risk for bleeding issues.

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