What is May-Thurner Syndrome, the condition that sent Lauren Boebert to the hospital with a blood clot?
- GOP Rep. Lauren Boebert's campaign announced on Tuesday she was diagnosed with May-Thurner Syndrome.
- The condition is mostly found in women, and can lead to blood clots and pulmonary embolisms.
After a visit to the hospital on Tuesday, Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert's campaign announced she had been diagnosed with an "acute blood clot" caused by May-Thurner Syndrome, a rare vascular condition.
Boebert's campaign said she went to the hospital for swelling in her left leg. "After undergoing a CT Scan, doctors found an acute blood clot and diagnosed her with May-Thurner Syndrome," the campaign said.
The disorder, which is found much more commonly in women than men, occurs when an artery pushes up against a vein in the pelvis, compressing it. That can restrict how well the body can circulate blood from the left leg to the heart, sometimes leading to deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolisms.
Her campaign said that at the recommendation of her doctor, Boebert scheduled surgery soon after the diagnosis to "remove the clot and insert a stent that will address the Congresswoman's symptoms."
Stents — tiny mesh tubes permanently inserted into blood vessels and arteries to keep them from closing or getting blocked — are a common treatment for May-Thurner Syndrome. Other treatments include taking blood thinners and thrombolytic therapy.
Boebert's surgeon in Colorado, Dr. Rebecca Bade, said she expects the firebrand lawmaker to make "a full recovery," adding that "patients with May-Thurner Syndrome who undergo the procedure to restore blood flow are able to live and work just as they have in the past after a brief recovery."
Congress is on recess after narrowly avoiding a government shutdown last month. Legislators are expected to return the week of April 9, when they have just a handful of months left to pass a slew of bills before the end of the term, like additional funding to Ukraine, a possible "ban" on TikTok, and a child internet safety bill.