Factor V Leiden clotting disorder

Some surgeon check these and others don’t. I don’t check clotting factors because of low yield. But we do ask patients if they have a history of abnormal Bleeding or clots

If there are any positive responses to bleeding/clotting disorders in the medical history....absolutely. Factor V Leiden is present in about 5% of Caucasians and 1% of non-Caucasians. The risk of having a blood clot is 1:100,000 if the patient has one of the gene mutation and can be higher up to 1:10,000 if there are two mutations.

Factor V Leiden (FVL) is a genetic mutation that makes it more likely for an individual to form blood clots, however, what makes this a little more complicated is that fact that people can have varying degrees of risk...and this depends on whether you have one or two copies of the mutated FVL gene. Those folks that have two copies of the mutated gene have a higher risk, while those only with one copy of the mutated gene have a lower risk of developing blood clots. Another factor to consider is the type of surgical procedure you are having. For example, a facelift surgery generally has much less blood loss, compared to...lets say...an orthopedic surgical case, which could also mean less risk with developing blood clots. HOWEVER, with all this said, the best thing to do is to consult with your hematologist so they can inform and guide you with what should be considered prior to any surgery.