Your surgeon, or another healthcare professional responsible for your care, will advise you on how long you should wear compression stockings for after your operation and how to use
them correctly.

 
When compression stockings are recommended after surgery, they should usually be worn as much as possible, day and night, until you're able to move around freely. 

Compression stockings are used after surgery to prevent blood clots developing in the leg, which is known as deep vein thrombosis (DVT).

They're often recommended if it's likely you'll be unable to move around much after surgery, either due to the after-effects of surgery or having another medical condition that affects your mobility.

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Who needs compression stockings after surgery?

When you're admitted to hospital, your risk of DVT will be assessed to decide whether you need compression stockings. 

You may need to wear stockings even if you're able to leave hospital on the same day as your operation.

Your risk of developing DVT may be increased if:

• you're having surgery on your hip, knee, legs or abdomen

• you need to have a general anaesthetic for more than 90 minutes

•  you're expected to be a lot less mobile after surgery (if you have to stay in bed for some time, you can't walk without help, or spend most of the day in a chair)

Reducing your risk of DVT

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Wearing compression stockings is one way of reducing your risk of developing DVT. 

Your risk can also be reduced by making sure you drink enough fluids (check with your surgeon how much you should be drinking) and moving around as soon as possible after your operation. 

In some cases, anticoagulant medication may be prescribed to prevent blood clots.

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Who is more likely to get DVT

A DVT is more likely to happen if you:

• are over 60

• are overweight

• smoke

• have had DVT before

• take the contraceptive pill or HRT

• have cancer or heart failure

• have varicose veins

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There are also some temporary situations when you're at more risk of DVT. These include if you:

• are staying in or recently left hospital – especially if you cannot move around much (like after an operation)

• are confined to bed

• go on a long journey (more than 3 hours) by plane, car or train

• are pregnant or if you've had a baby in the previous 6 weeks

• are dehydrated

Sometimes DVT can happen for no obvious reason.

How DVT is diagnosed

If a doctor thinks you have DVT, you should be referred to hospital within 24 hours for an ultrasound scan. The scan shows whether blood is flowing normally through the vein.

You may also have an X-ray of the vein (venogram). For this, you will be injected with a dye to show where the blood clot is.

 

Treatment of DVT

You may have an injection of an anticoagulant (blood thinning) medicine called heparin while you're waiting for an ultrasound scan to tell if you have a DVT.

After DVT is diagnosed, the main treatment is tablets of an anticoagulant medicine, such as warfarin and rivaroxaban. You will probably take the tablets for at least 3 months.

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If anticoagulant medicines are not suitable, you may have a filter put into a large vein – the vena cava – in your tummy. The filter traps and stops a blood clot travelling to your heart and lungs.

A newer treatment involves breaking up and sucking out the clot through a small tube in the vein. You usually need to take anticoagulant medicine for several months after this treatment.

DVT in pregnancy is treated differently. It is treated with anticoagulant injections for the rest of the pregnancy and until the baby is 6 weeks old. Read more about DVT in pregnancy.

Recovery from DVT

Some lifestyle measures will help you recover from DVT.

After you leave hospital, you will be encouraged to:

• walk regularly

• keep your affected leg raised when you're sitting

• delay any flights or long journeys until at least 2 weeks after you start anticoagulant medicine

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Tips to prevent DVT

Do

• stay a healthy weight

• stay active – taking regular walks can help

• drink plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration – DVT is more likely if you're dehydrated

 

Don't

• do not sit still for long periods of time – get up and move around every hour or so

• do not cross your legs while you're sitting, it can restrict blood flow

• do not smoke – get support to stop smoking

• do not drink lots of alcohol

Going on a long journey

If you're travelling for 3 hours or more by plane, train or car, there are things you can do during the journey to reduce your risk of DVT. These include drinking plenty of water and avoiding alcohol.

Find out more tips to reduce your risk of travel-related DVT

Going into hospital

If you go into hospital, your healthcare team should check your risks of DVT.

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If they think you're more likely to get DVT, you may be given treatment to prevent it, such as medicine or compression stockings (knee-high elastic socks that help your blood circulation), while you're in hospital.

You may continue treatment after you leave hospital because a blood clot can happen weeks later.

You can also help protect yourself against DVT while you're in hospital by:

• staying active and walking around if you can

• moving your toes (up and down) and ankles (in circles) if you have to stay in bed – your healthcare team may give you some exercises to do