A two-foot blood clot sounds like something a horror-movie prop department might reject for being “a bit much.” But for one California man, it was frighteningly real. Todd Dunlap, a 62-year-old resident of Newbury Park, arrived at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center with symptoms that could easily be mistaken for exhaustion, a stubborn flu, or the world’s least charming case of “I just don’t feel right.” He was short of breath, unusually fatigued, and extremely cold. A CT scan revealed the hidden threat: a 24-inch clot stretching from his leg veins into his heart.
That discovery turned an ordinary emergency room visit into a medical cliffhanger. If the clot broke loose and traveled to his lungs, it could block oxygen flow and become instantly life-threatening. Instead of opening his chest in traditional heart surgery, UCLA doctors used a minimally invasive device called AngioVac to suction the clot out, filter the blood, and return it to his body. In plain English: doctors performed the world’s most high-stakes vacuuming job, and this time, the dust bunny was in the heart.
The case remains a powerful example of how modern interventional medicine can turn a terrifying diagnosis into a survivable story. It also offers a useful reminder: blood clots are not rare, not always obvious, and definitely not something to “walk off” like a bad mood or an awkward text message.
What Happened to the California Man With the Two-Foot Blood Clot?
Todd Dunlap had been battling malignant melanoma for more than a decade when he developed a new medical emergency. When he arrived at UCLA, doctors found that a large blood clot had formed in his leg veins and extended upward into his heart. This type of clot is linked to deep vein thrombosis, commonly called DVT, which occurs when a clot forms in a deep vein, most often in the leg, thigh, or pelvis.
In Dunlap’s case, the clot was not a small blockage hiding quietly in one corner of the body. It stretched an astonishing two feet, reaching from the leg area into the heart. That made it especially dangerous because pieces of the clot could break off, travel through the heart, and lodge in the lungs. When that happens, the condition is called pulmonary embolism, or PE. A pulmonary embolism can prevent blood from picking up oxygen and can quickly become fatal.
Doctors initially tried clot-busting medication, often referred to as thrombolytic therapy. These drugs can dissolve clots, but they do not always work quickly enough or effectively enough, especially when a clot is large and dense. In Dunlap’s case, the medication failed. The next traditional option was open-heart surgery, a major operation that involves opening the chest and requires a longer recovery. Then came the alternative: AngioVac, a catheter-based suction system designed to remove fresh, soft clots and emboli during extracorporeal bypass.
How Doctors “Vacuumed” a Blood Clot From the Heart
The word “vacuumed” makes the procedure sound almost casual, as if a physician rolled in with a household appliance and asked where the extension cord was. The reality was far more sophisticated. A multidisciplinary team of interventional radiologists, cardiovascular surgeons, cardiologists, anesthesiologists, and operating-room specialists worked together to guide the device safely through Dunlap’s blood vessels.
The Role of the AngioVac System
The AngioVac system works through percutaneous access, meaning doctors can reach the clot through blood vessels rather than opening the chest. A large catheter is guided through the vascular system and positioned near the clot. The device creates suction, captures the clot, filters solid material from the blood, and returns the cleaned blood back into the patient’s circulation. This process helps reduce blood loss and can avoid the need for a blood transfusion.
During Dunlap’s procedure, doctors used imaging to monitor the heart and guide the device. One end of the system was positioned near the clot, while another pathway allowed the filtered blood to be returned through a vein. The procedure lasted about three hours. Afterward, Dunlap spent several days under close observation, including time in intensive care, before leaving the hospital within a week. For a man who had been facing open-heart surgery, that was a remarkable outcome.
Why Minimally Invasive Treatment Matters
Open-heart surgery can be lifesaving, and it remains essential in many situations. But it is also a major physical event. Surgeons often need to divide the breastbone, access the heart directly, repair the problem, and then close the chest with wires while the bone heals. Recovery can involve extended hospitalization, pain management, rehabilitation, and weeks or months of rebuilding strength.
By contrast, a catheter-based clot removal procedure may reduce surgical trauma, shorten recovery, and offer an option for people who are too frail or medically complex for open surgery. That does not mean it is simple or risk-free. In Dunlap’s case, the stakes were enormous: if the clot broke free during removal, it could have rushed into the lungs. But when performed by a skilled team in the right setting, minimally invasive thrombectomy can provide a lifesaving alternative.
Why a Blood Clot Can Become Deadly So Quickly
Blood clotting is not always bad. When you cut your finger chopping onions, clotting keeps you from turning dinner prep into a medical documentary. The problem begins when a clot forms where it should not, especially inside a deep vein or artery. Once a clot blocks normal circulation or travels to a vital organ, it can become a medical emergency.
Venous thromboembolism, or VTE, includes two related conditions: deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism. DVT usually starts in a deep vein, most often in the leg. PE happens when part or all of that clot breaks loose and travels to the lungs. A large pulmonary embolism can strain the right side of the heart, lower oxygen levels, damage lung tissue, and cause sudden death.
CDC data estimate that up to 900,000 people in the United States may be affected by VTE each year, with tens of thousands of deaths annually. Many cases are linked to hospitalization, surgery, cancer treatment, pregnancy, immobility, or chronic medical conditions. The scary part is that DVT can be quiet. About half of people with DVT may have no obvious symptoms, which makes awareness even more important.
Symptoms of Deep Vein Thrombosis and Pulmonary Embolism
DVT symptoms often appear in one leg or arm, not both. Warning signs can include swelling, tenderness, pain, warmth, redness, or skin discoloration. The pain may feel like a cramp or soreness that does not match any injury. Sometimes the affected area feels warm to the touch. Other times, there may be swelling without much pain, which is one reason people delay getting checked.
Pulmonary embolism symptoms usually require immediate emergency care. These may include sudden shortness of breath, chest pain that worsens with deep breathing or coughing, rapid heartbeat, dizziness, fainting, coughing up blood, or very low blood pressure. A person can develop PE symptoms without first noticing leg symptoms, which is one of the condition’s most dangerous tricks.
The lesson from Dunlap’s case is not that every tired person has a two-foot clot hiding near the heart. Thankfully, that would make Monday mornings far more terrifying than they already are. The real lesson is that unexplained shortness of breath, unusual chest discomfort, fainting, one-sided swelling, or sudden worsening symptoms deserve medical attention. Blood clots are treatable, but timing matters.
Risk Factors That Can Increase the Chance of Blood Clots
Almost anyone can develop a blood clot, but certain factors raise the risk. Extended immobility is one of the classic triggers. Long flights, long car rides, bed rest after illness, recovery from surgery, or sitting for hours without moving can slow blood flow in the legs. When blood flow slows, clots are more likely to form.
Cancer is another major risk factor. Some cancers and cancer treatments can make the blood more likely to clot. Chemotherapy, surgery, hospitalization, hormonal therapy, and venous catheters may also increase risk. Dunlap’s history of melanoma adds important context to his case because cancer-associated thrombosis is a well-recognized medical concern.
Other risk factors include older age, previous blood clots, family history of clotting disorders, major injury, obesity, smoking, pregnancy, estrogen-containing medications, heart disease, severe infection, inflammatory conditions, and certain inherited clotting disorders. None of these factors guarantee that a clot will occur, but they can help doctors decide who needs prevention, testing, or closer monitoring.
How Blood Clots Are Diagnosed
Doctors diagnose suspected blood clots using a combination of symptoms, medical history, physical examination, blood tests, and imaging. For DVT, compression ultrasound is commonly used to look at blood flow in the veins. For suspected pulmonary embolism, clinicians may use CT pulmonary angiography, ventilation-perfusion scans, blood oxygen measurements, D-dimer testing, electrocardiograms, echocardiography, or other tools depending on the patient’s condition.
Dunlap’s massive clot was found through CT imaging, which gave doctors a clear picture of the clot’s length and location. Imaging was critical because the symptoms alone could not reveal the full danger. Fatigue and shortness of breath can come from many causes, ranging from anemia to infection to heart or lung disease. The scan showed that this was not a “take two aspirin and call me in the morning” situation. This was a “assemble the expert team now” situation.
Treatment Options for Dangerous Blood Clots
The most common treatment for many DVT and PE cases is anticoagulant medication, often called blood thinners. These medicines do not usually dissolve an existing clot directly. Instead, they help prevent the clot from growing and reduce the risk of new clots forming while the body gradually breaks down the clot over time.
In more severe or life-threatening cases, doctors may use thrombolytics, which are clot-dissolving drugs. These can work faster but carry a higher risk of serious bleeding, so they are typically reserved for high-risk situations. Catheter-assisted procedures may be used to break up, dissolve, or remove clots. In rare cases, surgical embolectomy may be needed. Some patients who cannot take blood thinners may receive an inferior vena cava filter, a device designed to catch clots before they reach the lungs.
Dunlap’s case was unusual because the clot was so large, dense, and dangerously positioned. After clot-busting medication failed, AngioVac offered a way to remove the clot without open-heart surgery. The procedure was not a casual upgrade; it was a last-resort, high-risk intervention. But it worked, and it helped demonstrate what catheter-based technology could do when matched with expert judgment.
Prevention: Small Habits That Can Make a Big Difference
Not every blood clot can be prevented, but many risks can be reduced. Movement is one of the simplest tools. After surgery or illness, healthcare teams often encourage patients to get moving as soon as it is safe. During long travel, standing up, walking every one to two hours, stretching the calves, flexing the ankles, and avoiding cramped positions can help keep blood moving.
People at higher risk should talk with a healthcare provider about personalized prevention. That may include compression stockings, anticoagulant medication around surgery or hospitalization, cancer-treatment planning, smoking cessation, weight management, and follow-up care after a previous clot. The best prevention strategy depends on a person’s medical history, medications, bleeding risk, and overall health.
Hydration and movement are helpful, but they are not magic shields. A person with major risk factors should not rely on “I drank water and wiggled my toes” as a complete plan. Medical guidance matters, especially for people with cancer, recent surgery, prior VTE, pregnancy, hormone therapy, or inherited clotting disorders.
Why This Case Still Matters
The story of a two-foot blood clot vacuumed from a California man’s heart is memorable because it sounds almost impossible. But beyond the headline, the case shows the value of rapid diagnosis, specialized hospitals, teamwork, and technology. It also shows why patients and families should understand their options when facing complex medical decisions.
For Dunlap, the difference was not just a device. It was the combination of imaging, clinical judgment, surgical backup, interventional expertise, and the ability to move quickly when the usual treatment did not work. That is modern medicine at its best: not a single hero with a shiny gadget, but a coordinated team using the right tool at the right moment.
It also highlights a practical truth: blood clots are common enough to deserve public attention. A clot does not need to be two feet long to be dangerous. Even a much smaller clot can cause serious harm if it blocks blood flow in the lungs, heart, or brain. The headline is dramatic, but the everyday takeaway is simple: know the signs, know your risk, and do not ignore sudden breathing problems or one-sided limb swelling.
Experiences and Lessons Related to a Two-Foot Blood Clot in the Heart
Stories like this tend to stick in the mind because they combine fear, science, and relief in one unforgettable package. Many people who read about Dunlap’s case have the same first reaction: “How could someone have a clot that large and not know?” That reaction is understandable, but it is also exactly why blood clot education matters. The body can be strangely quiet until it is suddenly very loud.
For patients, one of the most relatable experiences is uncertainty. A person may feel tired, short of breath, cold, or generally “off,” but not know whether the problem is serious. People often explain symptoms away. Maybe it is stress. Maybe it is age. Maybe it is the weather, the mattress, the neighbor’s leaf blower, or the fact that life has been running on caffeine and optimism. But when symptoms are unusual, persistent, or sudden, it is better to be evaluated than to guess.
Families also experience the emotional whiplash of clot emergencies. One moment, they are encouraging a loved one to rest; the next, they are hearing words like “pulmonary embolism,” “heart chamber,” “open surgery,” or “catheter thrombectomy.” In those moments, clear communication from the medical team is everything. Families need to know what is happening, what the options are, what the risks are, and why time matters. A dramatic procedure like AngioVac can sound frightening, but so can open-heart surgery or waiting while a clot threatens to move.
For survivors, recovery is often both physical and psychological. Even when the outcome is excellent, many people feel vulnerable afterward. They may worry about recurrence, medication side effects, bleeding risks from anticoagulants, or whether every leg cramp is a warning sign. That anxiety is not silly; it is a normal response to a serious event. Good follow-up care, patient education, and a written plan can help people regain confidence.
There is also a powerful lesson for caregivers and friends: listen when someone says they feel unusually breathless, weak, dizzy, or different from their normal self. You do not need to diagnose them. In fact, unless you are their doctor, please do not become “Dr. Internet With a Coffee Mug.” But you can encourage prompt medical attention, help describe symptoms clearly, track medication lists, and support follow-up appointments.
Finally, Dunlap’s story is a reminder that medical innovation is not abstract. It is not just a conference slide, a device brochure, or a complicated term in a journal article. Innovation becomes real when a grandfather gets to leave the hospital, regain energy, and return to his family. That is the human side of a headline about a two-foot clot: behind the technology was a person who wanted more time, more life, and more ordinary days. Sometimes the most advanced medicine in the room exists so someone can do the simplest thing afterward, like sit on the floor and play with a grandchild.
Conclusion
The case of a two-foot blood clot vacuumed from a California man’s heart is more than a medical headline with shock value. It is a clear example of how dangerous venous blood clots can become, how rapidly pulmonary embolism can threaten life, and how minimally invasive technology can give doctors another option when standard treatments fail. Todd Dunlap’s recovery showed the promise of catheter-based clot removal in a complex, high-risk situation.
For readers, the most important message is not to fear every ache or cramp. It is to respect the warning signs. Sudden shortness of breath, chest pain, fainting, coughing blood, rapid heartbeat, or one-sided limb swelling should never be brushed aside. Blood clots are often preventable, frequently treatable, and sometimes silent until they are not. In other words, your circulatory system is amazing, but it is not a place to practice denial as a lifestyle.
Note: This article is for general educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Anyone with possible symptoms of deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism should seek medical care immediately.
