How important is it to seek
treatment if you suspect you have it?
Extremely important. Anyone with any
symptoms needs an urgent duplex
scan. If a DVT is found, the usual
treatment is anticoagulation—initially
with injections and then tablets.
Nowadays, many people are put
directly onto the oral tablets.
If a DVT is found and treated early,
there’s often little lasting damage. Big
DVTs that break off and go to the
lungs can be fatal.What can be done to prevent it when
travelling? DVT is associated with
flying rather than other forms of travel.
Flights under two hours are low risk.
On longer flights, get up and walk
every 30 minutes. Drink water or
juice—caffeine and alcohol will
dehydrate you. Below-knee
compression stockings reduce
swelling and DVT on long flights.Visit thewhiteleyclinic.co.uk for
more informationAsk The Expert: Deep Vein Thrombosis
How did you become an expert in
venous conditions, including DVT?
As both a student and doctor myself, it
fascinated me that both patients and
doctors just accepted that varicose
veins always come back. In every
other area in medicine, doctors
strive for better results—but no-one
seems to care about veins! So I
started my research into venous
disease in the 1990s.
What is DVT and what are the
symptoms? A DVT is a clot
(thrombosis) inside the deep veins.
Small clots in the calf veins might just
cause local aching and “cramping”.
Clots in the thigh or pelvic veins can
cause swelling of the whole leg as well
as considerable pain.
Who is likely to get DVT?
Risks increase with age. Immobility,
major surgery, a propensity to clotting
and cancer are all risk factors. Factors
you can change are dehydration,
smoking and having varicose veins.
Professor Mark WhiteleyJULY 2019 • 51READER’S DIGESTProfessor Mark Whiteley is an internationally known surgeon
specialising in vein problems and the founder of The Whiteley Clinic