What we do

A DVT is a blood clot that forms in a deep leg vein. Veins are blood vessels that take blood towards the heart.

Deep leg veins are the larger veins that go through the muscles of the calf and thighs. They are not the veins that you can see just below the skin, neither are they the same as varicose veins. When you have a DVT, the blood flow in the vein is partially or completely blocked by the blood clot.

DVT's can be very dangerous because part of the clot can break off and travel in the blood until it becomes stuck in a narrower blood vessel, elsewhere in the body usually in the lungs causing a Pulmonary Embolism (PE). A PE can be life threatening as it reduces the ability of the lungs to transfer oxygen to the blood.

How we work

Our Deep Vain Thrombosis (DVT) service is provided at the Urgent Care Centre as an outpatient service.

Some reasons for a DVT occuring are:

• Immobility
• A surgical operation
• Long journeys by plane, train or coach/car 
• Damage to the leg veins
• Conditions that cause the blood to clot more easily than normal 
• The contraceptive pill and hormone replacement therapy (HRT) 
• People with cancer or heart failure 
• Older people (over 60 years of age) 
• Pregnancy
• Obesity 
• Dehydration

How do I access this service?

Most patients are referred to the DVT Service by their GP, though patients can refer themselves to the service if they think they have a DVT.