What types of surgery are performed for varicose veins?

Conservative treatment is only effective in the early stages of varicose veins. And because the first signs are often ignored, the pathology continues to develop, reducing the effectiveness of the methods used. As symptoms worsen, the only option to remove varicose veins is surgery. Rehabilitation occupies a special place, which requires patients to follow medical advice.

Indications for surgery

If varicose veins are present, surgery may be required in some cases.

Especially suitable for patients suffering from the following diseases:

• Extensive vascular disease, which can be confirmed by visual inspection;
• Symptoms of edema, persistent pain and heaviness;
• There is a significant risk of thrombophlebitis and nutritional ulcers.

When the use of drugs does not bring the expected results, varicose vein surgery should be performed. It is important that the disease is not allowed to develop until the surgical treatment fails.

For some patients, varicose vein surgery on the legs may be contraindicated.

Contraindications

The last stage of surgery is usually inappropriate. Therefore, varicose veins can be treated with various drugs. They help reduce the severity of the disease, but they cannot eliminate it completely.

Surgery is prohibited for patients with the following diseases:

• Skin diseases (such as erysipelas or eczema) that are inflamed at the site of venous pathology;
• Cardiovascular disease (coronary artery disease, hypertension, heart failure);
• Acute form of phlebitis;
• Infectious diseases (can be operated after recovery);
• Venous thrombosis, pulmonary embolism (history);
• Eliminates atherosclerosis in the blood vessels of the lower limbs.

Patients over 70 years old and pregnant women are prohibited from surgery to remove varicose veins.

Prepare for surgery

Consultation with a phlebologist will help you to prepare for the upcoming surgery. The patient has the right to ask any questions of interest related to the operation.

You should also describe your symptoms as accurately as possible, talk about possible intolerance to certain medications, and make sure to inform you of the medications you are currently taking.

The attending physician guides patients to perform various diagnostic procedures:

• Blood and urine tests;
Fluorescence photography;
• ECG;
• Duplex ultrasound examination.

Certain conditions need to be met during the preparation phase:

1. 3 days before the operation, the patient must adhere to a scum-free diet, that is, fried, salted, spicy, meat and flour products are prohibited.
2. The last meal and water intake 8 hours before the operation.
3. For at least three days, you should forget about alcohol and tobacco.
4. You will need to remove hair from the leg where you want to do this, and you should use a razor.
5. If there is an abscess, bruise or any injury on the skin, please notify the doctor.

If the patient is driving a car, he or she should arrange with someone close or acquainted to pick him up after discharge. Driving is prohibited.

Preparing for surgery, patients are interested in the type of surgical interventions recommended and the cost of such treatments. If a patient undergoes venous surgery, many factors will affect the price: the stage of the disease, the length of the blood vessel affected by varicose veins, anesthesia, etc.

How to remove varicose veins

Since there are many types of surgical treatments for varicose veins, a specific method is selected based on the diagnostic data. In some cases, veins are partially or completely removed, in other cases-veins deformed due to varicose veins are closed or narrowed by special substances.

Vein extraction

A surgical treatment method in which the area of ​​blood vessels where varicose veins are present is removed. After removal, the blood will move through the deep veins.

The operation is as follows:

1. After the anesthesia is effective, the surgeon will make a small incision (maximum 5 mm).
2. Use a special probe to remove the vein, and then remove the affected area.

Vein extraction lasts 1-2 hours. Subsequently, the small scar remains at the surgical site.

Microfibrectomy

A great alternative to the previous method. The essence of this technique is that there is no need for a 5 mm incision. A slight puncture is sufficient to perform all necessary operations on the vein. In addition, in this case, the recovery speed is much faster and no scars are left.

All types of surgery to remove varicose veins in the legs are successful and in rare cases will cause any complications.

Thanks to this puncture technique, even large varicose veins can be eliminated.

Stripping

This is a type of vein enucleation. With its help, the trunk of the saphenous vein was removed. The surgeon uses a special probe to pull out blood vessels affected by varicose veins through a small incision. The incision is made on the inside of the groin and ankle.

Peeling occurred:

• Partial-Only part of the vein is removed;
• Total-The diseased vein is pulled out with small branches.

This type of operation requires the greatest attention of the doctor. If there is at least one uncrossed inflow, the risk of recurrence is greatly increased.

Sclerotherapy

This is a surgery to remove progressive varicose veins. This surgery is minimally invasive and does not require an incision. The surgeon's action is to shrink the lumen of the diseased blood vessel until it disappears completely.

For this, sclerosing agent is injected into the vein. The drug promotes irreversible destruction of the vessel wall, followed by excessive growth of the lumen.

Usually specially designed formulations are used.

Sclerotherapy has several advantages:

• This procedure can be carried out on the basis of outpatients;
• The patient is allowed to return to daily routine the next day;
• No general anesthesia required;
• There is no scar after the operation.

The negative aspect is the possibility of varicose veins re-forming. The disease affects the veins adjacent to the vein where the sclerosing agent is injected. Up to 10 injections can be performed in one process, and the treatment time is about one hour.

What should be said about the type of sclerotherapy:

1. Bubbles.The used preparation will form foam when it comes in contact with air and fill the vascular cavity. The closure of the lumen occurs in a short time, and even a small amount of hardener is sufficient. In addition, in order to obtain satisfactory results, perform 1-2 steps, injecting foam up to 3 times during this process.
2. Micro sclerotherapy.This technique is suitable for the initial stage of the disease.
3. Arteriosclerosis.It is suitable for deep vein disease. Using an ultrasound scanner for injection allows you to clearly distinguish where the sclerosing agent is injected, accurately determine the dosage of the drug, and avoid unnecessary consequences.

The operation performed was almost painless, so the patient recovered quickly.

Laser coagulation

This method of treating varicose veins is called vein (endometrial) laser coagulation (occlusion) and involves the use of a special device-laser LED.

Inject it into the affected vein. Due to its radiation, it can weld the inner surface of the blood vessel. The blood continues to circulate through the healthy veins, and the patient's health is improved.

Advantages of laser coagulation:

• There are no scars and age spots on the skin;
• 1-2 hours in the outpatient clinic;
Use
• local anesthesia;
• The operation is carried out under the control of the ultrasound machine;
• Short recovery period.

The final judgment on the success of the operation may be completed within 3 months. The use of laser ensures complete recovery of the disease without risk of recurrence.

Recovery period after vein removal

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

1. Compression socks are recommended. The attending physician will help his choice. At first (about 5 days), the linen was not removed before going to bed, and later it could only be used during the day.
2. In order to maintain blood vessels, drinking and smoking should be prohibited, because nicotine and alcohol are one of the most common causes of varicose veins.
3. You should avoid excessive physical exertion. Even minor injuries to the lower limbs are dangerous. If the patient liked sports before, he can return to the classroom within 1. 5-2 months.
4. To prevent recurrence, the water treatment should not be too hot. The use of sauna, steam bath and solarium is prohibited.
5. Cosmetic surgery cannot be performed on the surgical site.
6. It can be useful for therapeutic exercises.

In order to prevent the recurrence of varicose veins after surgery, during the recovery period, you need to take the medicine prescribed by the doctor to help the blood vessels recover. You don’t want you to decide on your own to change the dose of the drug, as this will have adverse consequences. If there are any signs of deterioration, it is important to see a phlebologist immediately.

The type of surgery depends on the individual characteristics of the disease process.

Complications that may occur after surgery

No expert can guarantee that there will be no side effects after surgery. Complications may occur, depending on the surgical treatment used.

Vein extraction and stripping can be reversed:

• Calf numbness;
• Reduced skin sensitivity;
• Pain syndrome;
• Bleeding;
• hematoma;
• Suppuration in the operating area.

After sclerotherapy, the following may appear:

• Swelling of ankles and feet;
• Pigmentation;
• Peeling and itching;
• The painful feeling;
• Skin burns.

If a laser LED is used, the result is:

• inflammation;
• The skin area turns black;
• minor bruises;
• Pain.

The most dangerous complication in any surgical operation is thrombosis. But in rare cases it will be observed to happen. With minimally invasive surgery, the risk of blood clots is very low.

Due to surgical treatment, it is possible to successfully get rid of serious diseases. The most important thing is to find qualified experts, not to ignore medical advice about the recovery period.