Varicose vein surgery is considered to be safe, but all surgery has some degree of risk. Possible complications may include: infection, particularly if you had skin ulcers. blood clots forming within deep veins.
Serious complications such as thrombosis or nerve damage are very rare. New varicose veins can develop after surgery.
Small to medium-sized varicose veins usually are treated with sclerotherapy, external laser treatment, or a minor surgery called microphlebectomy.
After the procedure, you may need up to 3 weeks to recover before returning to work, although this depends on your general health and the type of work you do. You may need to wear compression stockings for up to a week after surgery.
Less than 5% of patients require a treatment touch up within 6 to 12 months following initial varicose vein treatment. Should such an additional treatment become necessary, no additional fees are charged. In general, 95%-100% of varicose vein conditions are eliminated following a single treatment.
Walking After Varicose Vein Surgery
The good news is, walking is actually recommended after varicose vein surgery. In fact, regular walking is an important part of your healing process. Walking after surgery helps prevent clots from forming in your legs, and it also promotes good circulation in the area.
Leaving varicose veins untreated can lead to skin ulcers from small cuts or minor wounds that refuse to heal. The area will swell, and the tension from the veins prevents the swelling from receding. In order to treat the veins, you'll have to first treat the swelling.
You will likely experience some pain and bruising in the area your veins were treated, however, the pain is usually minimal. Depending on your health, your doctor may suggest you take ibuprofen or Tylenol if the pain gets to be too much. You should be able to go back to your normal activities without issue.
Exercise after Varicose Vein Surgery
That's because walking during recovery from varicose vein surgery is critical for most patients. We ask our patients to walk after varicose vein treatment for 30 minutes and we advise walking every day for at least an hour a day for the weeks following treatment.
Endovenous Laser Ablation vs Vein Stripping Costs
According to our own research and CHOICE Magazine, the average out of pocket cost for Endovenous Laser Ablation in Australia is between $2,500 and $4,000 per treatment, whilst vein stripping is around $2,000 (plus hospital and anaesthetic costs).
Vein ablations for varicose veins are covered by most insurance plans. You will need to check your plan's coverage as you may be responsible for a portion depending on your plan. How much does it cost? The average cost of a vein ablation is about $1500-$2000 per vein out of pocket.
Varicose veins, when left untreated, can lead to leg ulcers, hyperpigmentation, spontaneous bleeding, lipdermatosclerosis, deep vein thrombosis and/or superficial thrombophlebitis. Some of these symptoms are more serious than others are.
Varicose veins are usually caused by weak vein walls and valves. Inside your veins are tiny one-way valves that open to let the blood through, and then close to prevent it flowing backwards. Sometimes the walls of the veins become stretched and lose their elasticity, causing the valves to weaken.
When the veins are removed, the body's natural healing process kicks in and causes them to regrow. This process is called post operative neovascularization. However, the new veins don't have valves, causing the varicose veins to come back with a vengeance.
The important thing is to be able to drive as safely following your operation as you did before it. You should certainly not drive for 48 hours after a general anaesthetic and I would recommend you not to drive for the first week while you have your bandage on.
You will need to take it easy at home for 3 to 7 days after the surgery. How long it takes for you to recover depends on how many veins were removed. After surgery, problems caused by the varicose veins may go away. Removing varicose veins usually doesn't cause circulation problems.
The treatment
Varicose vein surgery is performed under general anaesthetic. A tiny needle is placed in the back of your hand. The anaesthetic is injected through the needle and you will be asleep within a few seconds.
Bruising will settle quickly over the next few days. In addition, some areas may be a little lumpy and tender. This is all part of the healing process and lumpy areas will gradually disperse over the next few weeks.
At worst, they can be indicative of a progressive disease process called chronic venous insufficiency, which causes poor wound healing, ulcers and, in severe cases, can lead to amputation.
Below are some common questions we hear from our patients. Q: Do varicose veins cause heart problems? Varicose veins do not cause heart problems, because they cause blood circulation problems like pooling or reflux (backwards flow), not heart conditions.
There's some good news, though. "Varicose veins typically aren't life-threatening or limb-threatening, and they generally don't increase your chance of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) or developing blood clots, which is what a lot of people worry about," says Dr. Lu.
Although both forms of treatment can be highly successful and have minimal side effects, EVLT is generally a faster and less painful approach, can be less expensive, does not involve general anesthesia, and can have a faster recovery time than vein stripping and ligation surgery.
The standard practice of the Veins Unit is to advise patients to wear class two compression stockings for four weeks post-operatively.
Since your veins are still recovering, you should avoid adding undo pressure by elevating the legs during sleep. Have your spouse or partner place a couple of pillows under your legs, just below the knee joint. If you wake during the night, focus on ensuring that your legs remain elevated.