Angie, 34, has made a career helping others as a behavior healthcare social worker in her hometown of DuBois, Pennsylvania. She best describes herself as a social butterfly who loves her work and spending time with family and friends. Angie and her fiancé, James, were planning their wedding when she noticed a lump on her collarbone that was showing minor signs of growth. Angie’s upbeat and optimistic attitude was challenged when she was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in October 2019.
In May 2020, after 10 radiation treatments and two rounds of chemotherapy, Angie’s first cycle of cancer treatment was a success. Regrettably, it was only a few weeks after her chemotherapy treatment that she noticed pain behind her right shoulder blade along with swelling in her right hand. Amid the pandemic, Angie was reluctant to visit the local emergency department. However, the pain and swelling in her right arm and hand was getting worse, and she made the decision to go the emergency department. Upon arrival, she was immediately referred to the vascular group at West Penn Hospital where she was diagnosed with an upper-extremity deep vein thrombosis (DVT).
Dr. Abdullah Shaikh consulted Angie on different treatment options for her DVT. “We were in the height of the coronavirus pandemic and my family was not allowed to go to the hospital with me. Dr. Shaikh was very comforting and assured me everything would be okay,” said Angie regarding her DVT consultation. Dr. Shaikh recommended intervention with the ClotTriever System, a mechanical thrombectomy device used to remove blood clots in single-session, to treat Angie’s upper-extremity DVT.
“Angie had developed a DVT most likely caused by the port and chemotherapy treatment a few months earlier. The ClotTriever would provide her with immediate symptom improvement without a prolonged hospital stay”
– Dr. Abdullah Shaikh
The single-session procedure was successful. With her swelling dissipated and full movement regained in her right hand, Angie was discharged home two days later.
Angie and James married in September 2020 in her hometown of DuBois. She is grateful for Dr. Shaikh and the care he provided amid very challenging times for all patients and healthcare workers across the country. “I had complete trust in Dr. Shaikh and this procedure. I would not have done anything different,” said Angie regarding her experience.