Advanced varicose veins cannot always be successfully treated using 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 cases is vascular surgery performed?
The following situations require surgery performed by experienced specialists only in a hospital. Surgical intervention in the lower extremities is mandatory in the following cases:
- If the disease is extensive and advanced;
- If the saphenous veins are very dilated;
- If the movement of blood through the veins is disturbed, therefore the legs constantly ache, get tired quickly 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 in advance for this. Treatment of varicose veins with surgical intervention begins with passing all the necessary tests and conducting the necessary examinations of the body. On the day of surgery, you need the following:
- Take a shower in the morning;
- Shave your legs so that excess hair does not interfere with the doctor's work with varicose veins;
- Arrive at the hospital a little earlier than your appointment to prepare for the upcoming procedure.
In cases where venous vessels 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 in your legs, it is important to inform him of any allergic reactions to drugs to avoid serious consequences. The operation is performed with anesthetic and substances containing iodine. Therefore, if you are allergic to such drugs, you should inform your doctor about it.
If the patient needs to stay in the hospital for rehabilitation after surgery on the lower extremities, the doctor should also inform the doctor about the medications he is systematically taking.
Types of surgery for varicose veins
Varicose veins of the lower extremities are treated in different ways. The following types of surgical intervention are available:
- During phlebectomy, only the veins affected by varicose veins are removed. Diseased veins are removed through small incisions in the legs;
- Dissection is performed to remove the great saphenous vein along with its branches. For varicose veins, this operation is performed through an incision in the groin. The veins exposed to the operation are closed and a tight bandage is placed on the leg;
- During sclerosis, diseased vessels are filled with a special substance that glues them together. Instead of diseased veins, scar tissue appears, which later dissolves without a trace with the help of special preparations;
- Treatment of varicose veins in the lower extremities is carried out using a laser beam that penetrates the venous vessels through special punctures. With laser therapy, veins are welded, after a while they melt and disappear. Reviews of patients show that this type of surgical intervention is quite effective, so relapses of the disease do not occur.
Leg surgery for varicose veins is not scary today. Any intervention is performed through a small incision on the skin. After 24 hours of surgery, the patient can be discharged home and allowed to return to work after a few days.
Before leg surgery, it is important that the patient is aware of the possible consequences. Rehabilitation takes place in different ways. Postoperative treatment depends on how, in which area and under which type of anesthesia it was performed. Often, after phlebectomy, the legs hurt very badly, and even hematomas appear, which disappear after a while. During laser therapy, a slight pain is felt in the lower limbs.
Rehabilitation after surgery
Recurrences after surgery in the lower extremities are very rare. The future 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.
If the operation for varicose veins is left behind, it is important to carry out the following rehabilitation measures:
- Get complete rest;
- Walk outside;
- Perform physical exercises taking into account the permissible loads determined individually for each patient;
- follow a diet;
- Tightly wrap the operated areas on the legs with an elastic bandage;
- Wear special knitted compression underwear;
- Do not lift very heavy objects;
- Watch your weight.
It is strictly forbidden to drink alcohol, do heavy physical work, take a hot bath, and drive a car for two days after surgery on the lower extremities.
Pain in the lower extremities and an increase in body temperature may occur within four days. To cope with such unpleasant symptoms, it is recommended to massage your feet. It is advisable to move a lot to quickly restore blood flow and increase the tone of venous vessels.
Postoperative treatment of varicose veins is done with antiplatelet agents to prevent blood clots. A doctor can prescribe a course of acetylsalicylic acid. Glycosaminoglycan injections are given to the patient to thin the 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 should be very careful when performing the hygiene of your operated foot. Do not wet the bandage before removing the stitches! The sutures are removed seven days after the operation, when the wounds have completely healed.
After they are removed, you should take a shower carefully. The crusts near the scars should not be torn off by force, they should fall off by themselves. When bathing, gently wash your feet with a soft sponge and baby soap. Then they are wiped with a soft towel and the scar lines are lubricated with alcohol or brilliant green. You should not steam the 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.
Recommended for varicose veins:
- Drink apple cider vinegar twice a day. Two tablespoons should be diluted with half a glass of water;
- Cabbage, bell peppers, tomatoes, carrots, greens are considered useful among vegetables. You can prepare salads from them by seasoning them with vegetable oil or lemon juice;
- As for fruits, it is useful to eat corn, black currants, oranges, strawberries, apples, lemons;
- Prepare cereal porridge to saturate the body with useful substances;
- To enrich your veins with vitamin E, add vegetable oil to your food - olive, pumpkin or sunflower;
- In order to saturate the venous system with elastin, it is important to have seafood in the diet. It is recommended to eat seaweed every day. If income allows, prepare salads from mussels, crabs, shrimps, oysters and squid;
- It is recommended to consume a few walnuts every day to maintain vascular health.
Only proper and balanced nutrition will help you recover faster after vein removal surgery.
Possible complications and results 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. However, sometimes unexpected complications occur that you need to know about in advance.
Possible complications after surgery on the extremities:
- The formation of caries that disappears by itself within a month. They rarely stay on the skin for more than two months;
- Sometimes the skin begins to thicken at the puncture or incision site. Within a month, the seal dissolves on its own;
- If the skin incision touches the nerve endings, the patient may feel pain in this area. Wounds also need some time to heal completely;
- If the legs are subjected to heavy loads after the operation, swelling may occur. Therefore, it is recommended to avoid heavy work in the first few days after vascular surgery.
In order to avoid the consequences described after the operation, it is necessary to prevent them.
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 all preventive measures should be taken to avoid unwanted consequences.
Experts recommend moving and not sitting in one place or lying in bed after the operation.
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 body;
- After a few days, start actively sitting in bed;
- Place an elastic bandage on your operated leg and begin walking and 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 prevent the development of varicose veins and to eliminate varicose veins, it is necessary to exercise, run, walk a lot, swim and participate in yoga classes.
If you stand a lot during the day, you should take short breaks every two hours - walk on your heels, then on your toes. During pregnancy, it is recommended to wear special compression stockings or tights to prevent varicose veins.
Contraindications to surgery for varicose veins
For varicose veins, it is not always possible to remove the veins using surgery. Treatment of the disease with surgical intervention cannot be carried out for people suffering from hypertension (late stage of the disease), coronary artery disease, severe forms of infectious diseases, redness and eczema.
The operation is also contraindicated during pregnancy (especially from 5 to 9 months) and old age.
To eliminate varicose veins, it is important that the operation is performed by an experienced phlebologist. Therefore, in order not to risk your health, you should carefully read the opinions of different doctors. Only after thoroughly analyzing the collected information about doctors, you can turn to the selected specialist and trust him with your problem.
What to do if the operation is contraindicated for you
If for some reason you cannot undergo surgical intervention, varicose veins are treated with conservative methods. The initial stages of the disease can be treated as follows:
- Thanks to compression garments, the tone of bulging blood vessels can be maintained. To choose the right compression, you need to consult a doctor;
- You can make lotions for sore feet with yogurt and wormwood decoction. A compress made from hops infusion, alcohol tincture from 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 thins the blood and helps it circulate better in the veins. But after this type of therapy, sometimes small scars remain on the skin;
- Lotions, masks or baths are also made from blue clay to treat the disease;
- 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 be used only in the initial stages of the disease. If varicose veins acquire a severe form of manifestation, surgery cannot be avoided. Therefore, it is important to consult a doctor in time to protect the health of your feet.
How do patients respond to surgery for varicose veins of the legs?
If you carefully study all the reviews about surgical intervention for varicose veins, you can come to the following conclusion. If you have indications for surgery, there is no need to fear. Do not hesitate to do this and strictly follow all additional instructions of the doctor. And very soon you will forget about varicose veins and all its unpleasant symptoms.
Now you know what type of surgical intervention for varicose veins on the legs. How to prepare for surgery and what to do afterwards to avoid unwanted complications and recurrences.