Preventing Blood Clots After Surgery Info
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Reducing the risk of deep vein thrombosis after upper-limb surgery — mobilisation, hydration, medication.
Blood clots in the leg veins (deep vein thrombosis, or DVT) are most often discussed after hip and knee surgery. The risk after upper-limb surgery is much lower, but not zero — being in a sling and moving less than usual is enough to nudge it up. A few simple habits at home keep that risk where it should be.
Why upper-limb surgery still carries some risk
After shoulder or elbow surgery you are often less mobile for the first week or two. You may sleep upright in a chair, walk less, and avoid long outings. Sitting still slows the blood flow in your leg veins, and that is the main thing that makes a clot more likely.
A few things raise the baseline risk further: a previous DVT or pulmonary embolism, a strong family history of clots, the combined oral contraceptive pill or hormone replacement therapy, recent long-haul travel, smoking, obesity, and some medical conditions including cancer and inflammatory bowel disease. If any of these apply to you, your surgeon may have specifically recommended blood-thinning tablets or injections — follow that advice exactly.
What you can do every day
Most patients do not need blood-thinning medication after upper-limb surgery. The protective habits below are usually enough:
- Keep walking. Five short walks around the house are better than one long one. Aim for movement every hour you are awake, even if it's just to the kettle.
- Move your ankles often. While sitting, point your toes up and down twenty times every hour. This pumps blood out of the calf veins.
- Drink water. Two litres a day. Dehydration thickens the blood; pain medications and reduced appetite both push you towards drinking less than usual.
- Don't sit cross-legged for long periods, and don't sit in a recliner with strong pressure under the knees.
- Avoid long-haul flights for at least two weeks after major surgery if you can. If you must fly, walk the aisle every hour and wear compression stockings.
Smoking dramatically raises clot risk; if you have stopped for the operation, this is a great window to keep going.
Warning signs — call us or go to the emergency department
- One calf becomes painful, swollen, warm, or red compared to the other side
- Sudden shortness of breath, chest pain, or coughing up blood — go straight to the emergency department, this can be a clot in the lung (pulmonary embolism)
- Dizziness or fainting with any of the above
Don't wait for your follow-up appointment if any of these happen. Treated early, blood clots are very manageable; left late, they can become dangerous.
