Patient education
DVT & PE After Cosmetic Surgery: Recognising and Managing Problems
Written for someone who has had an operation and is trying to tell whether what they are feeling is ordinary recovery or needs care. What is expected, why a clot appears away from the wound, the signs that need care the same day, how a clot is investigated, how risk is planned before surgery, and what follows a clot.
All guides
10 guides
- Swelling, Soreness and Stiffness After Surgery: What Is ExpectedNormal recovery
- Why a Clot Appears Away From the Operated AreaUnderstanding
- One Swollen, Painful Calf: The Sign to Act On the Same DayRed flags
- Breathlessness and Chest Pain After Surgery: The EmergencyEmergency
- What to Do in the Minutes Before Help ArrivesImmediate action
- How a Suspected Clot Is Investigated, and Why Treatment Starts FirstWork-up
- Clot Prevention Planned Before the Operation, Not AfterPrevention
- Why Prevention Lowers the Risk Without Removing ItLimits
- Further Operations After a Clot: What Has to ChangeRevision
- Follow-Up After a Clot: Treatment, Monitoring and How Long It LastsFollow-up
The clot forms away from the wound
If you are worried about a symptom after surgery, contact your treating team and say what you have noticed and when it started. For a one-sided swollen calf, breathlessness, chest pain or coughing up blood, seek emergency care now rather than waiting for a review.