This site is intended for healthcare professionals

Go to /sign-in page

You can view 5 more pages before signing in

VVs and oral contraceptives

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

Authoring team

There is no evidence that varicose veins on their own cause deep vein thrombosis. It also appears that varicose veins do not significantly increase the risk of spontaneous thrombosis in women taking the contraceptive pill or hormone replacement therapy. There is however evidence that the presence of varicose veins leads to an increased risk of deep vein thrombosis at the time of major abdominal or pelvic surgery.

These reassurances are only applicable to patients with primary varicose veins - they do not apply to the very small minority of patients with varicose veins secondary to previous deep vein thrombosis.

Reference:

  • BMJ editorial. Thrombosis, phlebitis, and varicose veins. BMJ 1996; 312: 198.

Create an account to add page annotations

Annotations allow you to add information to this page that would be handy to have on hand during a consultation. E.g. a website or number. This information will always show when you visit this page.

The content herein is provided for informational purposes and does not replace the need to apply professional clinical judgement when diagnosing or treating any medical condition. A licensed medical practitioner should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions.

Connect

Copyright 2024 Oxbridge Solutions Limited, a subsidiary of OmniaMed Communications Limited. All rights reserved. Any distribution or duplication of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited. Oxbridge Solutions receives funding from advertising but maintains editorial independence.