Liver clot

A poor clot that continues to bleed and protrudes from the surgical site.  It looks like liver tissue, thus the name.  Another name for the liver clot is a currant jelly clot.

Treatment of the liver clot

First of you should assure the patient that this is not a big deal and can be taken care of quickly and easily. Now the first step is to remove the liver clot. Get the patient numb and remove with a curette or forceps. My personal favorite is the salvin currette that has serrations. The clot will mostly stay together. Next use firm pressure or other means to stop the bleeding. Then allow to heal.

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When do liver clots occur?

After any type of dental surgery a liver clot can form. Different periodontal surgeries, dental extractions and dental implants can all trigger a these clot formations. We have seen them after dental implants and extractions, but they are rare. They are more common in people on blood thinners.

The above photo is an example of a liver clot from a patient that had a dental extraction. After 3 days the patient came in with an area that was still oozing blood. The patient was afraid to touch the area as we tell them not to disturb the blood clot. We remove the clot after getting numb and as you can see the clot grew to the size of a tooth.