Advanced varicose veins cannot always be successfully cured with conservative treatment methods. Therefore, varicose veins are removed surgically. Surgery for varicose veins of the lower extremities has its own characteristics, rehabilitation methods and contraindications.
In which situations is vein surgery performed?
The following situations require surgery, which is performed only in a hospital by experienced specialists. Surgical intervention on the lower extremities is mandatory in the following cases:
- If the disease is extensive and advanced;
- If the saphenous veins are severely dilated;
- If the blood flow through the vessels is disturbed, which is why the legs constantly hurt, they quickly tire and are overloaded by heaviness;
- If the skin is trophically affected;
- For 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 conducting the necessary examinations of the body. On the day of the operation the following is required:
- 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.
When removing venous veins under general anesthesia, the patient receives a cleansing enema in the evening.
If your doctor has prescribed an operation to treat varicose veins on the legs, it is important to inform him about the presence of allergic reactions to medications in order to avoid serious consequences. The operation is performed with an anesthetic and agents containing iodine. If you are allergic to any of these medicines, be sure to tell your doctor.
If the patient needs to stay in the hospital for rehabilitation after an operation in the lower extremities, the doctor must also inform the doctor about the medications that he is systematically taking.
Types of operations for varicose veins
Varicose veins of the lower extremities are treated in different ways. There are the following types of surgical interventions:
- During phlebectomy, only the veins affected by varicose veins are removed. Diseased veins are removed through small incisions in the legs;
- Stripping is carried out to remove the large saphenous vein and its tributaries. This operation for varicose veins is performed through an incision in the groin fold. The operated veins are tied off and a tight bandage is applied to the leg;
- In sclerosis, diseased vessels are filled with a special substance that sticks them together. Instead of diseased veins, scar tissue appears, which subsequently dissolves without a trace with the help of special preparations;
- Treatment of varicose veins of the lower extremities is carried out using a laser beam that penetrates the venous veins through special punctures. During laser therapy, the veins are welded together, dissolve and disappear after a while. Reviews of patients show that such a surgical intervention is very effective, as a result of which relapses of the disease do not occur.
Leg surgery for varicose veins is no longer scary today. Each procedure is carried out through a small incision in the skin. The patient can be discharged home 24 hours after the surgical procedure and can return to work after a few days.
It is important that the patient is aware of the possible consequences before leg surgery. Rehabilitation occurs in different ways. Treatment after surgery depends on how it was performed, in which area and under what type of anesthesia. The legs often hurt very much after a phlebectomy and even hematomas appear, which disappear after a while. Mild pain may be felt in the lower extremities during laser therapy.
Rehabilitation after surgery
Relapses are very rare after operations on the lower extremities. The patient's further well-being depends only on him. To avoid hematomas, bleeding and other complications, you must strictly follow all the doctor's recommendations.
After an operation for varicose veins, the following rehabilitation measures are important:
- Give yourself complete rest;
- Go outside;
- Do physical exercise, taking into account the permissible loads, which are determined individually for each patient;
- Follow the diet;
- Bandage the operated areas on 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, do heavy physical work, take a hot bath or drive a car for two days.
Pain in the lower extremities and increased body temperature may occur over the course of four days. To cope with such unpleasant symptoms, it is recommended to massage your feet. To quickly restore blood circulation and increase the tone of the venous vessels, it is advisable to move a lot.
To prevent 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 is given glycosaminoglycan injections.
The treatment or prevention of the inflammatory process is carried out with the help of antibiotics. To relieve pain in the lower extremities, painkillers are prescribed.
You need to be very careful about the hygiene of your operated leg. Do not let the bandage get wet before removing the stitches! Suture removal occurs seven days after surgery once the wounds have completely healed.
Once they are removed, you need to shower carefully. You cannot tear off the crust near the scars by force; it should fall off on its own. When bathing, wash your foot gently with a soft sponge and baby soap. They are then dabbed with a soft cloth and the scar lines are rubbed with alcohol or brilliant green. You should not steam scars in the sauna or hot bath for a month.
How to eat during rehabilitation
To strengthen blood vessels, it is recommended to drink some 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, seasoning them with vegetable oil or lemon juice;
- As for fruits, it makes sense to eat gooseberries, black currants, oranges, strawberries, apples and lemons;
- To saturate the body with useful substances, prepare cereal porridge;
- To enrich your veins with vitamin E, add vegetable oil to your dishes - olive, pumpkin or sunflower oil;
- To saturate the venous system with elastin, it is important that seafood is included in the diet. It is recommended to eat seaweed every day. If income allows, prepare salads from mussels, crabs, shrimps, 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 in the extremities goes well. If the surgical treatment is successful, the patient is discharged home after two days. But sometimes unexpected complications arise that you need to know about in advance.
Possible complications after operations on the extremities:
- Bruises form and disappear on their own within a month. Very rarely they remain on the skin for longer than two months;
- The skin sometimes begins to thicken where a puncture or incision has been made. Within a month the seal dissolves on its own;
- If the skin incision touches the nerve endings, the patient may feel pain in that area. Additionally, wounds take time to fully heal;
- If the legs are subjected to heavy strain after the operation, swelling may occur. Therefore, it is recommended to avoid heavy work in the first few days after vein surgery.
In order to avoid the described consequences after surgery, prevention is necessary.
Precautions
In some people the wounds heal very quickly, in others keloids appear. For this reason, varicose veins must not only be removed, but all preventive measures must be taken to avoid undesirable consequences.
After the operation, experts recommend moving around and not sitting in one place or lying in bed.
Prevention after surgery is as follows:
- Start by slowly bending and straightening your knees. Make circular movements with your feet to increase the speed of venous blood flow;
- When sleeping, make sure your legs are slightly higher than your upper body;
- After a few days, start actively sitting in bed;
- Place an elastic bandage around your operated leg and begin walking and performing light physical therapy exercises. It is recommended to wear an elastic bandage for three months after surgery.
To prevent recurrence of the disease, it is important to lead an active lifestyle, do physical therapy, go to the swimming pool, and eat a healthy, balanced diet.
To avoid the development of varicose veins and the removal of varicose veins, you need to exercise a lot, run, walk, swim and attend yoga classes.
If you stand a lot throughout the day, you need to take short breaks every two hours - walk on your heels and then on your toes. To prevent varicose veins during pregnancy, it is recommended to wear special compression stockings or tights.
Contraindications to surgery for varicose veins
It is not always possible to remove veins through varicose vein surgery. Surgical treatment of the disease is not possible for people suffering from hypertension (late 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 old age.
It is important that the operation to remove varicose veins is performed by an experienced phlebologist. Therefore, in order not to endanger your health, you need to carefully read what reviews different doctors have. Only after a thorough analysis of the collected information about doctors can you go to the selected specialist and entrust him with your problem.
What to do if surgery is contraindicated for you?
If surgery is not possible for some reason, treatment of varicose veins is carried out using conservative methods. The initial stages of the disease can be treated as follows:
- Thanks to compression clothing, bulging blood vessels can be kept in shape. To choose the right compression, you must consult a doctor;
- You can make lotions for sore spots on your legs from yogurt and wormwood broth. A compress of hop infusion, alcohol tincture of Kalanchoe leaves, cabbage with honey or raw potatoes is also useful;
- The early stages of varicose veins are treated with hirudotherapy. The treatment uses leech saliva, which thins the blood and ensures better blood circulation in the veins. However, after this type of therapy, small scars sometimes remain on the skin;
- To treat the disease, lotions, masks or baths are also made from blue clay;
- After consulting a doctor, varicose veins on the legs can be treated with special pharmaceutical ointments, creams, patches, gels or tablets.
The conservative methods described can only be used in the initial stages of the disease. If varicose veins have become severe, surgery is essential. Therefore, it is important to see a doctor in a timely manner to protect the health of your legs.
How do patients react to surgery for varicose veins on their legs?
If you carefully study all the reviews about surgical interventions for varicose veins, you can draw the following conclusion. If you have indications for surgery, there is no need to be afraid. Feel free and strictly follow all further instructions from the doctor. And very soon you will forget about varicose veins and all their unpleasant symptoms.
Now you know what types of surgical procedures exist for varicose veins in the legs. How to prepare for surgery and what to do afterward to avoid unwanted complications and relapses.