Q about DVT, postnatal swelling, scan accuracy & heredary thrombosis. (different to other thread)

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Sorry, slightly different issue to other thread so I thought I would start a new one instead of hi-jacking.

I am 11wks postnatal & still have swollen ankles & feet. One is worse than the other, and the difference seems to be getting more prominent. GP did D-dimer test & results 'borderline' (311 I think) so sent for DVT scan (which I got same day BTW). Scan found nothing (but could scan the whole area thoroughly. Could the scan have missed something?
I vaguely remember GP asking about family history, which at the time their was none. However my father died last week (no sympathy please - we didn't get on) & the primary cause of death was cited as pulmonary embolism (multiple clots). Is this sort of thing hereditary? My father was a chronic alcoholic BTW, but as I understand it this would have probably meant he was prone to bleeding rather than clotting so I don't know if his PE was related to drink or not.
I don't have any other symptoms of DVT (no pain or redness), but I don't know whether to be more worried in light of my fathers death.

What do you think?

hi.
d-dimer levels can frequently appear boderline if you are newly post natal.
what other tests, if any were you given?
is your leg, painful, if you touch your calf area, is it painful to the touch?.
it is important to reveal a family history to your doctors an d as you now technically have a family history, i would advise that if you are worried to go to casualty and explain that you are worried you may have a dvt.
there are other tests they can carry out.
The gold standard is intravenous venography, which involves injecting a peripheral vein of the affected limb with a contrast agent and taking X-rays, to reveal whether the venous supply has been obstructed. Because of its invasiveness, this test is rarely performed.

Impedance plethysmography can also be used as a non-invasive alternative, this is effectively like having a blood pressure taken, but of your leg.

Thanks for the reply. They did say that d-dimers could have been post-natal related. At the DVT clinic they just measured the limbs & took a history. From that they didn't think it was likely but decided to scan as I was there (I think the small baby on the ward they did it so I wouldn't have to return). They said they normally do more bloods but as they didn't expect to find anything they would leave the bloods unless they found anything on the scan. The only symptom I have is the swelling so I am not overly concerned. I just wondered whether I should be more concerned with the recent history. I wondered how accurate the ultrasound scan was. I don't even know whether his PE is relevant given the alcohol. The GP is due to review me in another month, so unless anyone thinks I have cause to be concerned (or anything changes) I was going to wait & bring it up then.

the scan is usually quite good at checking the deep veins of the legs although it doesnt always pick up all of the deep veins and it cany check the deep veins of the pelvis, however, when you were scanned they would have squeezed various parts of your calf and then watched how the blood flowed, if they were happy with that, then there is probably nothing to worry about, that in conjunction with only moderately diff d dimer levels and the leg measurements they are probably happy there is no clot..hopwever, do please watch it carefully, the swelling in your ankle could be fluid but if your leg becomes painful, hot or tender to the touch, or you become breathless, do go straight to casualty,scans are not infalible.

Thanks, I do feel better with a second opinion

no probs, hope your leg feels better soon, i would still err on the side of caution and get the swelling checked out at least.

Thanks Space cadet. You sound knowledgable. May I ask your background?
The swelling was checked a couple of days ago (and is due to be reviewed in a month). I didn't have a cause of death then to tell doc. I don't even know if it is relevant. I think I just had a very panicky "what if the doc needs to know/what if the scan missed something/does it change anything?" moment. I guess there would need to be more physical symptoms for the scan to be repeated anyway - and I wasn't really concerned until I thought about a possible link. I don't want to make an appointment only to go in and say "BTW I now have family history"- but will def mention it in a month. I will keep a very close eye on it though. Thanks

im a nurse, but also have a history of dvt myself, my most recent one being earlier this year. i have also had a pulmonary embolism

not working at the moment though would like to add!