What types of surgery are prescribed for varicose veins?

Conservative treatments are only effective in the early stages of varicose veins. And since the first signs are usually ignored, the pathology continues to develop, reducing the effectiveness of the means used. With a significant worsening of symptoms, the only option that removes varicose veins is surgery. A special part is occupied by rehabilitation, which requires patients to comply with medical recommendations.

Indications for surgery

If there are varicose veins, surgery is indicated in some cases.

Specifically, surgery is indicated for patients with:

• extensive vascular lesions, which can be identified by visual examination.
• swelling symptoms, persistent pain and heaviness
• significant risk of thrombophlebitis, food ulcers.

Varicose vein surgery is appropriate when the use of drugs does not bring the desired results. It is important not to allow the disease to develop until surgical treatment is useless.

For some patients, surgery for varicose veins in the legs may be contraindicated.

Contraindications

Late stage surgery is often inappropriate, so varicose veins are treated with various medications. They help to reduce the severity of the disease somewhat, but they can not completely eliminate it.

Surgery is prohibited in patients suffering from:

• skin diseases of an inflammatory nature at the site of venous pathology (for example, erysipelas or eczema).
• cardiovascular disorders (coronary heart disease, hypertension, heart failure)
• acute form of varicose veins?
• infectious diseases (surgery is possible after recovery).
• venous thrombosis, pulmonary embolism (history);
• eliminates atherosclerosis of the vessels of the lower extremities.

Surgical treatment to eliminate varicose veins is contraindicated in patients over 70, as well as in pregnant women.

Preparing for surgery

Consulting a venologist will help you prepare well for the upcoming surgical treatment. The patient has the right to ask questions that interest him and are related to the operation.

You should also describe the symptoms as accurately as possible, talk about possible intolerance to certain medications, and be sure to report any medications you are currently taking.

The treating physician directs the patient to undergo a series of diagnostic procedures:

• blood and urine tests?
• fluorography?
• electrocardiography;
• double ultrasound.

The preparatory stage requires compliance with certain conditions:

1. 3 days before the operation, the patient must follow a slag-free diet, ie fried, salted, spicy, as well as meat and flour products
2. Last meal and fluid intake 8 hours before surgery.
3. For at least 3 days, you should forget about alcohol and cigarettes.
4. You will need to remove the hair from the leg on which the operation will be performed and you will need to use a razor.
Tell your doctor if you have abscesses, bruises or skin damage.

If the patient is driving a car, he should arrange with someone close or known to pick him up after leaving. It is forbidden while driving.

Preparing for surgery, the patient is interested in the type of surgery that is appropriate for him and how much this treatment costs. If the patient is prescribed venous surgery, many factors affect the price: the stage of the disease, the length of the vessel affected by varicose veins, anesthesia and so on.

Ways to remove varicose veins

Because there are many types of surgical treatment for varicose veins, the choice of a particular method is based on the diagnostic data. In some cases, the venous vessel is partially or completely removed, in others - the veins, which are deformed with varicose veins, are sealed or narrowed with a special substance.

Phlebectomy

A type of surgical treatment in which the sections of blood vessels where there are varicose veins are cut off. After removal, the blood will move through deep veins.

The operation is performed as follows:

1. Once the anesthesia is effective, the surgeon makes small incisions (up to 5 mm).
The vein is removed using a special probe, after which the affected area is displaced again.

Phlebectomy lasts 1-2 hours. Then a small scar remains in the operating area.

Microleukectomy

Great alternative to the previous method. The essence of the technique is that you do not need to make 5 mm incisions. A small puncture is enough to perform all the necessary manipulations with the vein. In addition, the recovery in this case is much faster, leaving no marks.

All types of varicose vein surgery are successful and cause complications in very rare cases.

Thanks to this puncture technique, it is possible to get rid of even large varicose veins.

Stripping

This is a type of phlebectomy. With its help, the trunk of the great saphenous vein is removed. The surgeon pulls the varicose vein through a small incision, using a special catheter. Incisions are made inside the groin and ankle.

Naked:

• partial- only part of the venous vessel is cut off.
• set- the weak vein is pulled along with small branches.

Performing such manipulations requires the utmost care from the doctor. If there is at least one non-crossing inflow, the risk of recurrence increases significantly.

Sclerotherapy

This is a procedure for the removal of progressive varicose veins, which is minimally invasive and does not require incisions. The surgeon's actions are aimed at narrowing the lumen of the diseased vessel until it disappears completely.

Therefore, a hardener is injected into a vein. The drug promotes irreversible damage to the walls of blood vessels with consequent overgrowth of the lumen.

Specially designed preparations are commonly used.

Sclerotherapy has many benefits:

• The procedure can be performed on outpatients.
• the patient is allowed to return to daily affairs the next day.
• does not require general anesthesia.
• no scars after surgery.

A downside is the possibility of varicose veins recurring. The disease can affect the veins next to those where the sclerosant was injected. Up to 10 injections have been performed in one procedure and the duration of treatment is about one hour.

It should be said about the types of sclerotherapy:

1. Foam.The preparation used, in contact with air, forms a foam, which fills the cavity of the container. The closing of the lumen takes place in a short time, while even a small amount of hardener is enough. In addition, in order to achieve satisfactory results, 1-2 procedures are performed, during which the foam is injected at most 3 times.
2. Microsclerotherapy. The technique is appropriate in the early stages of the disease.
3. Audio sclerosis.Prescribed for deep vein lesions. The injection is performed using an ultrasound scanner, which allows you to clearly identify the injection site of the sclerosant, to accurately determine the amount of drug and to avoid side effects.

The manipulations performed are practically painless and then the patients recover quickly.

Laser coagulation

This method of treating varicose veins, called intravenous (coagulation) laser coagulation (elimination), involves the use of a special device - an LED laser.

It is injected into the affected vein and thanks to its radiation, the inner surfaces of the vessel are glued. Blood continues to circulate through healthy veins and the patient's well-being improves.

Advantages of laser coagulation:

• lack of scars and age spots on the skin.
• is ​​performed in outpatients for 1-2 hours.
• local anesthetic is used.
• manipulations are performed under the control of an ultrasound machine.
• short recovery period.

The final judgment on the success of the business is possible in 3 months. The use of lasers guarantees complete recovery from the disease without the risk of recurrence.

Recovery period after vein removal

After surgery, the patient must follow certain rules, which will minimize the risk of complications and speed up recovery:

1. It is recommended to use compression tights. The treating physician will assist in his choice. In the beginning (about 5 days), the linen is not removed before going to bed and later its use is allowed only during the day.
2. To preserve blood vessels, alcohol and smoking should be banned, as nicotine and alcohol are one of the most common causes of varicose veins.
3. You should avoid excessive physical exercise. Even minor injuries to the lower extremities are dangerous. If in the past loved sports, it is possible to return to the classes in 1, 5-2 months.
4. To prevent recurrences, water treatments should not be hot. Sauna, steam bath and solarium are contraindicated.
5. No cosmetic surgery can be performed on the operating areas.
6. It would be useful to do therapeutic exercises.

To prevent varicose veins from returning after surgery, during the recovery period, you should take medication prescribed by your doctor, which will help the blood vessels to recover. It is undesirable to change the dosage of the medication at your discretion, which is fraught with side effects. If signs of wear appear, it is important to see a venologist immediately.

The type of surgery is determined by the individual characteristics of the course of the disease.

Possible complications after surgery

No specialist can guarantee the complete absence of side effects after surgery. Complications may occur depending on the surgical method used.

Phlebectomy and stripping can be rotated:

• numbness in the lower legs
• reduced skin sensitivity.
• pain syndrome?
• bleeding?
• hematomas?
• dislocation of the operating area.

After sclerotherapy, the following may occur:

• swelling of the ankle and foot.
• pigmentation?
• peeling and itching.
• painful sensations.
• skin burning.

If an LED laser was used, the formation:

• inflammation;
• darkening areas of the skin?
• small bruises?
• pulling the pain.

The most dangerous complication of any surgery is thrombosis. But its appearance is observed in rare cases. With minimally invasive surgery, the risk of blood clots is quite low.

Thanks to surgery, it is possible to successfully get rid of a serious illness. The main thing is to find a specialist and do not ignore the medical recommendations regarding the recovery period.