“Can a blood clot in the brain be removed with medication alone?”
I have been diagnosed with a blood clot in the brain. It is thankfully considered minor and won't do any damage. Will it still require surgery or can medications also work?
7 Answers
Your body normally breaks down the blood clot and removes it.
This question is unfortunately not specific enough to answer it reliably in a way that would be applicable to you specifically. Options for blood clots within the substance of the brain (intraparenchymal) include doing nothing and allowing it to absorb on its own, tPA infusion through a catheter placed into your brain, and either endoscopic or open surgery. Each option has its own risks and benefits. Without knowing your particular neurologic exam, and without seeing your particular imaging, it is impossible to have a rational discussion of the pros and cons of each option, and which would be best for you. It is a discussion your neurologist and/or neurosurgeon would have with you.
Not oral or intravenous. Misti’s trial objects tpa into clot. dissolving it in several days
No medication will work. Your body will absorb the clot if it is not too big. the recovery depends on the size and the location of the clot.
Please address this question to your care team. Yes blood thinners can work, but the extent of the clot, your anatomy, hydration status and genetic background can affect how well they can work.
Blood clots that do not require surgical removal do not require medications. These clots will be broken down biochemically into components and reabsorbed by the body.
No medication will remove a clot but clots absorb with time. In the head, location is important. If the clot is in the brain but not large enough to require urgent surgery to relieve symptoms it will resolve. It is also important to know if there is a cause that may bleed again. If the blood is outside the brain (subdural for example) the blood will go from acute to chronic to water. If the clot outside the brain is stretching little veins on the surface of the brain, additional bleeding could increase the clot and eventually require surgery.
