Advanced varicose veins cannot always be successfully cured by conservative treatment methods. Therefore, varicose veins are surgically removed. Surgery for varicose veins of the lower extremities has its own characteristics, rehabilitation methods and contraindications.
In what situations is vein surgery performed?
The following situations require surgical intervention, which is carried out only in the hospital by experienced specialists. Surgical intervention in the lower extremities is mandatory in the following cases:
- If the disease has become extensive and advanced;
- If the saphenous veins have become very enlarged;
- If the movement of blood in the vessels is disturbed, this is why the legs constantly hurt, quickly get tired and are overloaded with heaviness;
- If the skin is trophically affected;
- If there are non-healing trophic ulcers on the legs;
- If thrombophlebitis worsens.
How to prepare for surgery
Surgery for varicose veins is called phlebectomy. It is important to prepare well in advance. Treatment of varicose veins by surgical intervention begins with passing all the necessary tests and carrying out the necessary studies of the body. On the day of the intervention you must:
- Take a shower in the morning;
- Shave your legs so that excess hair does not interfere with the doctor's work on varicose veins;
- Arrive at the hospital a little earlier than your appointment to prepare for the upcoming procedure.
In cases where venous veins are removed under general anesthesia, the patient is given a cleansing enema in the evening.
If your doctor has prescribed surgical treatment for varicose veins of the legs, it is important to inform him about the presence of allergic reactions to medications in order to avoid serious consequences. The surgery is performed using anesthetic and iodine-containing agents. Therefore, if you are allergic to these medications, you should inform your doctor.
If, after surgery on the lower limbs, the patient must remain in hospital for rehabilitation purposes, the doctor must also inform him of the medications he is routinely taking.
Types of operations for varicose veins
Varicose veins of the lower limbs are treated in different ways. There are the following types of surgical intervention:
- During phlebectomy, only the veins affected by varicose veins are removed. Diseased veins are removed through small incisions in the legs;
- To remove the large saphenous vein and its tributaries, stripping is carried out. This varicose vein operation is carried out through an incision in the inguinal fold. The operated veins are ligated and a tight bandage is applied to the leg;
- During sclerosis, diseased vessels are filled with a special substance that sticks them together. Instead of diseased veins, scar tissue appears, which, with the help of special preparations, then dissolves without a trace;
- Treatment of varicose veins of the lower extremities is carried out using a laser beam that penetrates the venous veins through special perforations. With laser therapy, the veins coalesce, dissolve and disappear after a while. Patient reviews indicate that such surgical intervention is very effective, which prevents relapses of the disease.
Leg surgery for varicose veins is not scary today. Any procedure is carried out through a small incision in the skin. 24 hours after the surgery, the patient can go home and after a few days he is allowed to return to work.
It is important that before undergoing leg surgery, the patient is aware of the possible consequences. Rehabilitation takes place in different ways. Treatment after surgery depends on how it was performed, the area involved and the type of anesthesia. Often, after phlebectomy, the legs hurt very much and even hematomas appear, which disappear after a while. During laser therapy, slight pain is felt in the lower extremities.
Rehabilitation after surgery
After surgery on the lower limbs, relapses occur very rarely. The patient's well-being depends only on him. To avoid hematomas, bleeding and other complications, you must strictly follow all the doctor's recommendations.
When varicose vein surgery is abandoned, it is important to implement the following rehabilitation measures:
- Get complete rest;
- Take a walk outside;
- Do physical exercise taking into account the permissible loads, which are determined individually for each patient;
- Follow the diet;
- Bandage the operated areas of the legs tightly with elastic bandages;
- Wear special knitted compression underwear;
- Do not lift very heavy objects;
- Watch your weight.
After surgery on the lower extremities, it is strictly forbidden to drink alcohol, perform heavy physical work, take a hot bath or drive a car for two days.
Over the course of four days, pain in the lower extremities and an increase in body temperature may occur. To deal with such unpleasant symptoms, it is recommended to massage your feet. To quickly restore blood flow and increase the tone of the venous vessels, it is advisable to move a lot.
To prevent the formation of blood clots, postoperative treatment of varicose veins is carried out with antiplatelet agents. The doctor may prescribe a course of acetylsalicylic acid. To thin the blood, the patient receives glycosaminoglycan injections.
Treatment or prevention of the inflammatory process is carried out using antibiotics. To reduce pain in the lower extremities, painkillers are prescribed.
You must be very careful when performing hygiene on your operated leg. Do not wet the bandage before removing the stitches! The sutures are removed seven days after the operation, as soon as the wounds are completely healed.
Once removed, you should shower carefully. You cannot forcibly tear off the scabs near the scars, they must fall off on their own. When bathing, gently wash your foot with a soft sponge and baby soap. Then they are blotted with a soft towel and the scar lines are smeared with alcohol or brilliant green. You should not steam scars in a sauna or hot bath for a month.
How to eat during rehabilitation
To strengthen blood vessels, it is recommended to drink a little dry red wine, beet or tomato juice, grape juice, eat cranberries, garlic and lemon.
For varicose veins, it is recommended:
- Drink apple cider vinegar twice a day. Two tablespoons should be diluted with half a glass of water;
- Among vegetables, cabbage, peppers, tomatoes, carrots and herbs are considered useful. You can prepare salads from them by seasoning them with vegetable oil or lemon juice;
- As for fruits, it is useful to eat gooseberries, black currants, oranges, strawberries, apples, lemons;
- To saturate the body with useful substances, prepare cereal porridges;
- To enrich your veins with vitamin E, add vegetable oil to your dishes - olive, pumpkin or sunflower;
- To saturate the venous system with elastin, it is important that seafood is present in the diet. It is recommended to eat seaweed every day. If income allows, prepare salads with mussels, crabs, shrimp, oysters and squid;
- To maintain vascular health, it is recommended to consume several walnut kernels daily.
Only a proper and balanced diet will help you recover faster after vein removal surgery.
Possible complications and consequences after surgery
In general, surgery for varicose veins of the extremities goes well. If the surgical treatment is successful, the patient returns home after two days. But sometimes unexpected complications arise and you need to be informed in advance.
Possible complications after surgery on the extremities:
- The formation of bruises that disappear on their own within a month. Very rarely, they remain on the skin for more than two months;
- Sometimes, in places where an injection or incision was made, the skin begins to thicken. Within a month, the seal resolves on its own;
- If the skin incision touches the nerve endings, the patient may feel pain in that area. It also takes some time for wounds to fully heal;
- If the legs are subjected to heavy loads after surgery, swelling may occur. Therefore, during the first days after vein surgery, it is recommended to avoid strenuous work.
To avoid the described consequences after surgery, it is necessary to carry out their prevention.
Preventive measures
Some people's wounds heal very quickly, while others suffer from the appearance of keloids. For this reason, varicose veins should not only be eliminated, but also all preventive measures should be taken to avoid undesirable consequences.
After surgery, experts recommend moving around and not sitting in one place or lying in bed.
Prevention after surgery is as follows:
- First, slowly bend and straighten your knees. Make circular movements with your feet to increase the speed of venous blood flow;
- When you sleep, make sure your legs are slightly higher than your torso;
- After a few days, start actively sitting up in bed;
- Place an elastic bandage on your operated leg and start walking and performing light physiotherapy exercises. It is recommended to wear an elastic bandage for three months after surgery.
To prevent the disease from recurring, it is important to lead an active lifestyle, undergo physical therapy, go swimming, and eat a healthy, balanced diet.
To prevent the development of varicose veins and eliminate varicose veins, you need to exercise, run, walk a lot, swim and take yoga classes.
If you stand a lot throughout the day, you should take short breaks every two hours - walk on your heels and then on your toes. To avoid varicose veins during pregnancy, it is recommended to wear special compression stockings or tights.
Contraindications to varicose vein surgery
It is not always possible to remove veins through varicose vein surgery. Treatment of the disease by surgical intervention cannot be carried out for people suffering from hypertension (advanced stage of the disease), coronary heart disease, severe forms of infectious diseases, erysipelas and eczema.
The operation is also contraindicated during pregnancy (especially from 5 to 9 months) and in the elderly.
It is important that the operation to eliminate varicose veins is carried out by an experienced phlebologist. Therefore, in order not to risk your health, you should carefully read the reviews of different doctors. Only after a thorough analysis of the information collected about doctors can you contact the chosen specialist and entrust him with your problem.
What to do if surgery is contraindicated for you
If for some reason you cannot undergo surgery, the treatment of varicose veins is carried out using conservative methods. The early stages of the disease can be treated as follows:
- Thanks to compression garments, bulging blood vessels can remain toned. To choose the right compression, you must consult a doctor;
- You can prepare lotions for painful areas of the legs from a decoction of yogurt and wormwood. A compress made from hop infusion, alcoholic tincture of Kalanchoe leaves, honeyed cabbage or raw potatoes will also be useful;
- The early stage of varicose veins is treated with hirudotherapy. For treatment, leech saliva is used, which thins the blood and helps it circulate better through the veins. But after this type of therapy, sometimes small scars remain on the skin;
- To treat the disease, lotions, masks or baths are also made on the basis of blue clay;
- After consulting a doctor, varicose veins of the legs can be treated with special pharmaceutical ointments, creams, patches, gels or tablets.
The described conservative methods can only be used in the early stages of the disease. If varicose veins have acquired a serious form of manifestation, surgery cannot be avoided. Therefore, it is important to consult a doctor in time to protect the health of your legs.
How do patients respond to surgery for leg varicose veins?
If you carefully study all the reviews regarding surgical intervention for varicose veins, you can draw the following conclusion. If you have indications for surgery, there is no need to be afraid. Do not hesitate to do so and strictly follow all additional instructions from the doctor. And very quickly you will forget about varicose veins and all their unpleasant symptoms.
Now you know what types of surgical intervention exist for leg varicose veins. How to prepare for surgery and what to do after it to avoid unwanted complications and relapses.