Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - It was announced by Buffalo Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff on Monday that forward Jiri Kulich is set to miss "significant time" from the lineup as the result of a blood clot that recently developed.
This is tough news for the 21-year-old, who had already missed three games before this announcement came from the Sabres on Monday. In 12 games this season, Kulich had scored three goals and added two assists for five points, but has not looked like the same player as he was last year when he produced 24 points (15+9) in 62 games.
While Ruff believes Kulich will be able to play again this season, it will be a wait and see approach with how he progresses from his recovery over the next month.
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Dr. James Hereth, critical care physician at Kaleida Health, says there are a couple of concerns that come to mind when hearing of a young player such as Kulich dealing with blood clots.
"No. 1, we want to be concerned about how they develop that blood clot to begin with. Some people, they have a clotting disorder in which they will produce clots when they're not supposed to. Many times, people are diagnosed early on, or there's a family history so we're able to identify those individuals who may be afflicted. Secondarily, people may develop blood clots from an injury as well, which would probably be my guess [here]. Wth that then would be the treatment for that," said Dr. Hereth in an interview with WBEN. "Many times, depending on where the blood clot is, we have to anticoagulate, and because of the sport that he's involved in, to be anticoagulated and yet be at risk for impact, that would be a major concern."
While some blood clots sound more concerning than others, Dr. Hereth says a blood clot almost anywhere is a great concern, because of where it may go afterwards.
"If there's a blood clot in an arm or a leg, for us that have normal anatomy, that blood clot, if it gets dislodged, can go to the lung. We call that a pulmonary embolism, and that can cause real trouble for the individual, possibly even death. Now, if the anatomy in the heart is not normal, if we still have infant anatomy that doesn't change - there's a special hole in our heart that closes off, a foramen ovale - if that is open, that could be a straight shot from the arms and legs through the heart, bypassing the lungs and going to the brain, and then that would be a stroke. That would be a major concern as well," Dr. Hereth noted.
While blood clots in athletes like hockey players may be more rare, Dr. Hereth says they can happen to anyone at any time. He says there are a number of ways Western New Yorkers can adequately monitor themselves or recognize if they may be experiencing a blood clot.
"No. 1, if there's a family history, then you want to talk to your primary care physician, and ask if you may need to be screened. No. 2, if you notice there's swelling in one leg versus the other, or one arm versus the other, then also you may need to reach out to your primary care physician. You may require an ultrasound, at that point, to see whether you have a clot or not. If so, we're going to have to find out why that occurred, and then be able to get treatment," Dr. Hereth noted. "And then, let's say if somebody is having progressive shortness of breath and they're not noticing any swelling in their arms or legs, that may also be symptoms for a pulmonary embolism."
Dr. Hereth adds if something doesn't quite feel right, don't hesitate to reach out to a healthcare professional and get checked out, or even make your way to your nearest emergency room for further evaluation.
"We see this all the time at Kaleida Health. We're happy to treat our our local community, and we're very good at it too," Dr. Hereth said.
What are some good practices to ensure the best vascular and cardiovascular health possible, thus better preventing the potential of blood clots from forming?
"We want to make sure our community in Buffalo remains active. If you're not already involved with a regular exercise regimen, even just basic walking, reach out to your healthcare provider - make sure it's safe to begin with - and then remain active," Dr. Hereth said.
He adds for those who are more susceptible to blood clots, take some extra precautions when you may be traveling.
"Let's say you're going to go on a long trip. If you're going to be in a long car ride or in a transatlantic flight, what you want to do is make sure you flex your legs or get up as frequently as possible. You want to be able to allow that venous blood flow to continue to move in order to be able to decrease your risk for DVTs," he said.
Dr. Hereth also notes some individuals may likely benefit from a short course of an anticoagulant, which is something you should talk with your primary care physician about.