Advanced varicose veins cannot always be successfully treated with conservative treatment methods. Varicose veins are therefore 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 surgery, which is performed only in a hospital by experienced specialists. Surgical intervention of the lower limbs is mandatory in the following cases:
- If the disease has become extensive and advanced;
- If the saphenous veins have become very dilated;
- If the movement of blood through the vessels is disturbed, due to which the legs constantly hurt, they quickly tire and are overloaded with weight;
- 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 for it in advance. The treatment of varicose veins with surgical intervention begins with passing all the necessary tests and passing the necessary examinations of the body. On the day of the operation, it is necessary:
- Take a morning shower;
- Shave your legs so that excess hair does not interfere with the work of the doctor with 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 with the help of general anesthesia, the patient is given a cleansing enema in the evening.
If your doctor has prescribed surgical treatment for varicose veins in your legs, it is important to inform him of the presence of allergic reactions to drugs to avoid serious consequences. The surgical intervention is performed with the help of an anesthetic and means containing iodine. Therefore, if you are allergic to such drugs, you should inform your doctor about it.
If, after surgery in the area of the lower limbs, the patient has to stay in a hospital for rehabilitation, the doctor must also inform the doctor about the medicines he takes systematically.
Types of surgery for varicose veins
Varicose veins of the lower extremities are treated in different ways. There are the following types of surgical intervention:
- During phlebectomy, only those veins that are affected by varicose veins are removed. Diseased veins are removed through small incisions in the legs;
- Stripping is performed to remove the great saphenous vein along with its tributaries. This operation for varicose veins is performed through an incision in the inguinal fold. Veins that have undergone surgery are ligated and a tight bandage is placed on the leg;
- During sclerosis, the 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, subsequently dissolves without a trace;
- The treatment of varicose veins of the lower limbs is carried out with the help of a laser beam that penetrates the venous veins through special punctures. With laser therapy, the veins are welded, dissolved and after some time disappear. Reviews of patients show that such surgical intervention is quite effective, which is why relapses of the disease do not occur.
Leg surgery for varicose veins today is not scary. Each intervention is performed through a small skin incision. 24 hours after the surgical procedures, the patient can be discharged home and after a few days can 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, in what area and under what anesthesia. Often after phlebectomy, the legs hurt very badly and even hematomas appear, which disappear after a while. During the laser therapy, a slight pain is felt in the lower limbs.
Rehabilitation after surgery
Recurrences occur very rarely after lower extremity surgery. The further well-being of the patient 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 take the following rehabilitation measures:
- Get plenty of rest;
- To walk outside;
- Do physical exercises, taking into account the permissible loads, which are determined individually for each patient;
- Follow the diet;
- Tightly bandage the operated areas of the legs with elastic bandages;
- Wear special knitted compression underwear;
- Do not lift very heavy objects;
- Watch your weight.
After surgery on the lower limbs, it is strictly forbidden to drink alcohol, do heavy physical work, take a hot bath and drive a car for two days.
For 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 venous vessels, it is recommended 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. Glycosaminoglycan injections are administered to thin the patient's blood.
Treatment or prevention of the inflammatory process is carried out with the help of antibiotics. Painkillers are prescribed to reduce pain in the lower extremities.
You have to be very careful when doing hygiene of the operated leg. Do not wet the bandage before removing the stitches! Sutures are removed seven days after surgery, as soon as the wounds have completely healed.
After they are removed, you should carefully take a shower. You can't forcefully pick off the scabs near the scars, they should fall off on their own. When bathing, wash your foot gently with a soft sponge and baby soap. Then they are blotted with a soft cloth, and the lines of the scars are smeared with alcohol or green. You should not steam scars in a sauna or hot tub 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, seasoning them with vegetable oil or lemon juice;
- As for fruits, it is useful to eat gooseberries, blackcurrants, oranges, strawberries, apples, lemons;
- To saturate the body with useful substances, prepare cereals;
- To enrich your veins with vitamin E, add vegetable oil to meals - olive, pumpkin or sunflower oil;
- To saturate the venous system with elastin, it is important to include seafood in the diet. It is recommended to eat seaweed every day. If income allows, make salads from clams, crabs, shrimps, oysters and squid;
- To maintain the health of the blood vessels, it is recommended to consume several walnuts daily.
Only proper and balanced nutrition will help you recover faster after vein removal surgery.
Possible complications and consequences after the operation
In general, varicose vein surgery goes well. If the surgical treatment is successful, the patient is discharged home after two days. But sometimes unexpected complications arise that you should know about in advance.
Possible complications after limb surgery:
- The formation of bruises that disappear on their own within a month. They very rarely stay on the skin for more than two months;
- Sometimes in places where a puncture or incision was made, the skin begins to thicken. Within a month, the seal passes by itself;
- If the skin incision touches the nerve endings, the patient may feel pain in that area. Also, it takes some time for wounds to heal completely;
- If the legs are subjected to heavy loads after the operation, swelling may occur. Therefore, during the first few days after vein surgery, it is recommended to avoid heavy work.
In order to avoid the described consequences after the operation, it is necessary to carry out their prevention.
Precautions
In some, the wounds heal very quickly, while others suffer from the appearance of keloids. For this reason, varicose veins should not only be removed, but also all preventive measures should be taken to avoid unwanted consequences.
After the operation, experts recommend moving 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 legs to increase the speed of venous blood flow;
- When sleeping, 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 the operated leg and begin walking and performing light physical therapy exercises. It is recommended to wear an elastic bandage for three months after the operation.
To prevent the disease from returning, it is important to lead an active lifestyle, do physical therapy, go to the pool and eat a healthy and balanced diet.
To avoid the development of varicose veins and to remove varicose veins, you should exercise, run, walk a lot, swim and attend 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 for surgery for varicose veins
It is not always possible to remove the veins through varicose vein surgery. Treatment of the disease by surgical intervention cannot be carried out in people suffering from hypertension (late stage of the disease), coronary artery 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 risk your health, you should carefully read what examinations different doctors have. Only after a thorough analysis of the collected information about doctors, you can go to the chosen specialist and entrust him with your problem.
What to do if the operation is contraindicated for you
If for some reason you cannot undergo surgery, the treatment of varicose veins is carried out using conservative methods. The initial stages of the disease can be treated as follows:
- Thanks to the compression garment, the bulging blood vessels can be kept in tone. To choose the right compression, you should consult a doctor;
- You can make lotions for sore feet from yogurt and wormwood decoction. A compress of hop infusion, alcoholic tincture of Kalanchoe leaves, cabbage with honey or raw potatoes will also be useful;
- The early stage of varicose veins is treated with hirudotherapy. For treatment, leech saliva is used, which dilutes the blood and helps it circulate better through the veins. But after this type of therapy, sometimes small scars remain on the skin;
- Lotions, masks or baths of blue clay are also made to treat the disease;
- After consultation with a doctor, varicose veins of the legs can be treated with special pharmaceutical ointments, creams, patches, gels or tablets.
The described conservative methods can be used only in the initial stages of the disease. If varicose veins have acquired a severe form of manifestation, then surgery cannot be avoided. That is why it is important to consult a doctor in time to protect the health of your feet.
How do patients respond to varicose vein surgery?
If you carefully study all the reviews about surgical intervention for varicose veins, you can make the following conclusion. If you have indications for surgery, there is no room for fear. Feel free to do and strictly follow any additional instructions from the doctor. And very soon you will forget about varicose veins and all its unpleasant symptoms.
Now you know what types of surgical intervention exist for varicose veins of the legs. How to prepare for the operation and what to do after it to avoid unwanted complications and recurrence.