The femoral vein is in your thigh. This vein begins at your knee and travels up through your groin to your abdomen. Your femoral vein sits next to your femoral artery.
Healthcare providers may use vascular ultrasound to locate your femoral vein.
Your femoral vein includes valves that prevent blood from flowing backward as it moves toward your heart. The number of valves in your femoral vein may be different in different people. You might also have a different number of valves in your right femoral vein than in your left femoral vein.
The length of your femoral vein varies depending on your height. The diameter of the femoral vein ranges from about 6 millimeters (mm), the size of a pencil eraser, to 11 mm, the size of a pea.
Veins typically have walls that include three layers:
Veins in your leg, such as your femoral vein, are at higher risk for blood clots or swelling, especially in people who stand a lot. This risk increases when you stand because blood must fight gravity to flow upward.
When valves in your femoral vein don’t function properly and allow blood to pool, you might develop:
If your femoral vein isn’t moving blood as it should, you might have:
Your healthcare provider may recommend certain tests to make sure your femoral vein is healthy:
Healthcare providers may also inject a dye into your veins and take X-rays to check blood flow. This vascular study, known as a venogram, shows how blood flows through your veins.
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Your healthcare provider may recommend venous blood clot treatment to dissolve blood clots and improve blood flow in your femoral vein. Medications may include:
To keep your veins healthy:
Your femoral vein helps keep your blood circulating. Talk with your healthcare provider about lifestyle changes that can help keep your veins healthy.
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Last reviewed on 05/17/2022.
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