In short. Who to call, what to say, what not to do, and why rubbing a painful leg or waiting for a callback is the wrong first move.
Key points
- The date of your operation, what it was, the name of your surgeon or team, your medication list, and the hospital's main number.
- Keeping those on a single sheet of paper where you can reach it, or in a note on your telephone, takes a few minutes once and removes the need to search while you are unwell.
- Patients who have done this describe the call as much easier, and the call being easier is the point.
When a symptom looks like a clot, the minutes before help arrives are worth planning for, and most of the useful actions are about not doing the wrong thing. This page is deliberately short.
Call, and say three things
Whoever you reach, say three things immediately: that you had an operation recently and what it was, what you have noticed and where, and when it started. Those three facts determine how quickly the person receiving the call escalates it. If you can, say also whether you have had a clot before and whether you take anything that affects clotting, because both change the assessment.
Have the facts written down before you need them
The date of your operation, what it was, the name of your surgeon or team, your medication list, and the hospital's main number. Keeping those on a single sheet of paper where you can reach it, or in a note on your telephone, takes a few minutes once and removes the need to search while you are unwell. Patients who have done this describe the call as much easier, and the call being easier is the point.
Keep the leg still
If the finding is in a leg, do not rub it, massage it, apply heat to it, or exercise it to see whether it loosens. A deep vein clot can be dislodged by manipulation, and the manoeuvre also changes the appearance of the leg for the clinician who examines you next. Rest the leg, avoid putting weight through it where you can, and wait for advice rather than testing it.
Do not wait for a callback
A routine enquiry may not be answered for hours, and a clot does not wait. If you cannot reach the team promptly, call the hospital main line. If the symptom is in the chest, do not go through the team at all: call emergency care or have someone take you to the nearest emergency department, and do not drive yourself. If you are alone and the symptom is in the chest, call the emergency number for your location.
Things not to do while you wait
- Do not rub, massage, heat or exercise a leg that may contain a clot.
- Do not drive yourself if you are breathless or your heart is racing.
- Do not wait for a call back from a routine enquiry, or reassess in an hour to see whether it settles.
A call that turns out to be unnecessary costs a conversation. A delay that turns out to have mattered cannot be recovered. Between those two, the correct instinct is to make the call early and to say plainly what you have noticed.
Frequently asked questions
Who should I call first?
Your treating team, if you can reach them quickly, because they know what operation you had and what your risk factors are. If you cannot reach them, call the hospital main line. And if the symptom is in the chest — breathlessness, chest pain, a racing heartbeat or coughing up blood — call emergency care immediately rather than trying the team first.
Should I rub or massage the leg?
No. Massaging a leg that may contain a deep vein clot can dislodge it, and it also obscures the findings for whoever examines you next. The correct response is to keep the leg still and get help. Applying heat is no better, and neither is exercising the leg to see whether it improves.
Should I take anything for the pain?
Take nothing that changes your blood's ability to clot, and do not take a new medication in order to manage the symptom while you wait. Ordinary pain relief that you were already prescribed is not a problem, but the assessment needs to know what you are taking, so keep the list with you and say what it is.
Risks & Limitations
- A deep vein clot forms in the leg or the pelvis, away from the operated area, so the wound can look entirely normal while the danger sits elsewhere.
- A clot that reaches the lung is an emergency measured in minutes. Breathlessness, chest pain or pain on breathing deeply, a racing heartbeat with dizziness, and coughing up blood all require immediate care.
- Clot prevention lowers the risk and does not remove it. A clot can occur despite a correctly made prevention plan, which is why every patient is taught the warning signs.
- Risk is higher after longer operations and longer periods of immobility, and with a previous clot, a family history, some medication, and smoking.
- A one-sided swollen, warm or tender calf or thigh is assessed the same day rather than observed until a review.
- A clot remains a fact in your history and changes how any later operation is planned, and sometimes whether one is offered at all.
When to Seek Care
- One calf or thigh that is swollen, painful, warm or tender compared with the other side — contact the team the same day.
- Sudden breathlessness, or breathlessness clearly worse than before &mdash — seek emergency care now.
- Chest pain, or pain on breathing deeply, at any point after surgery &mdash — seek emergency care now.
- A racing or irregular heartbeat with dizziness or fainting, or coughing up blood &mdash — seek emergency care now.
- Fever with chills or shivering, or feeling generally very unwell with a wound or a swollen area.
- A wound that is opening, or spreading redness, warmth or discharge around an incision.
References & Further Reading
- American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) - patient safety guidance on venous thromboembolism
- National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE, UK) - guidance on venous thromboembolism prevention and management
- Cochrane Library - systematic reviews on thromboprophylaxis in surgery
- British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons (BAPRAS) - patient information on clot risk after surgery
- Chinese Medical Association Plastic Surgery Branch - clinical guidance
This page is patient education, not medical advice, and it does not cite individual studies. Discuss your own case with a qualified clinician. To arrange an assessment at Chongqing West District Hospital, see Contact & Consultation.