Abstract A questionnaire was sent to 363 members of the Vascular Surgical Society of Great Britain and Ireland about their use of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) prophylaxis at the time of varicose vein surgery. Replies were received from 289 surgeons (80 per cent), of whom only 29 per cent regarded varicose veins as an important risk factor for DVT. Only 12 per cent used subcutaneous heparin prophylaxis routinely, while 71 per cent did so selectively, being influenced by a history of thromboembolism (95 per cent), obesity (47 per cent), age (35 per cent), recurrent varicose veins (22 per cent) and inpatient status (16 per cent). At the end of the operation 52 per cent applied crepe bandages, 25 per cent other bandages, 13 per cent stockings and 10 per cent Tubigrip. Subsequently, antiembolism stockings were prescribed by 55 per cent. There is a wide variation in opinion regarding DVT prophylaxis for patients having varicose vein surgery, which has both clinical and medicolegal implications.