East Texas man recovers after life-threatening blood clots

NACOGDOCHES, Texas (KTRE) - A Deep East Texas man is back to his normal routine after doctors discovered he had developed life-threatening blood clots in his lungs, an emergency condition that required a minimally invasive extraction procedure performed for the first time in Nacogdoches County.

George Fletcher, of Joaquin, noticed alarming symptoms five weeks after undergoing foot surgery. The warning signs came quickly.

“I started having pain in the back of that leg, shortness of breath. Pain in my chest and my back,” Fletcher said.

Recognizing the severity of his symptoms, Fletcher sought immediate medical attention at Nacogdoches Medical Center.

The diagnosis was sobering. “They diagnosed me with blood clots in my lungs and were pretty critical,” he said.

Emergency Intervention

Dr. Justin Price, a cardiologist at Nacogdoches Medical Center, explained the extent of Fletcher’s condition.

The clots had accumulated in the most critical location.

“Right where the lungs split between the right and left side it had a log jam or a ‘car wreck’ between those two lungs. He had a pulmonary embolism. He was very sick,” Price said.

Due to the urgent nature of the case, Price and his team performed a pulmonary embolism extraction procedure, a first for the county.

The procedure, which uses advanced technology to remove clots without requiring open surgery, proved effective for Fletcher.

“I was relieved because they had told me it was very serious,” Fletcher said. Price praised the benefits of the minimally invasive approach.

“It preserves minimal blood loss. The main thing is to reduce the risk of bleeding,” Price said.

Understanding the Risk

According to Price, blood clots that develop in a person’s leg commonly travel to the lungs, where they can become life-threatening.

Several factors can increase the risk of clot formation.

“That can come for any number of reasons. If you had a recent surgery, a long travel like a car ride or a plane ride, it can be a prior injury,” Price said.

Fletcher is grateful for his recovery and credits both medical expertise and faith for his second chance.

“I’m back exactly to where I was. I go out, do whatever I want. You know, just as physical as I was before. I have to give God credit because He set everything up. I know He did that, but these doctors were phenomenal,” he said.

Blood clots kill more than 100,000 Americans every year. They can happen at any age. Doctors say if you experience chest pain, shortness of breath, or leg pain after surgery, seek emergency care immediately.