What To Expect after Your Treatments
for Varicose or Spider Veins
Varicose vein follow-up
If you suffered from varicose veins, Dr. Martin probably used endovenous thermal ablation to treat your saphenous and perforator veins. In addition, you may have undergone microphlebectomy, foam sclerotherapy, or other procedures to rid your legs of varicose and spider veins.
As a result of improved circulation due to these treatments, you might have noticed that your legs feel lighter and fresher and that you have greater physical endurance. Perhaps some or all of the heaviness, pain, swelling, cramps, and restlessness in your legs has disappeared. And certainly you must take comfort in knowing that your risks of phlebitis and blood clots have diminished.
All this is terrific! So, what can you expect going forward? What should you do to maintain your health?
What you can expect
Following the initial treatments, you can expect to be 90 to 95 percent free
of varicose veins for the rest of your life.
That’s a huge improvement over the results of treatments in prior eras! However, you still have a 5 percent to 10 percent chance of recurring disease. (A strong genetic tendency toward varicose veins pushes the risk toward the upper end of this range.)
Since most new varicose veins will appear during the first two years after your initial treatment, Dr. Martin suggests scheduling two to three checkups during this two-year period. Each visit will include an evaluation examination utilizing surveillance ultrasound. If you need follow-up treatment, Dr. Martin can perform minimally invasive in-office procedures under local anesthesia with ultrasound guidance.
Spider vein follow-up
After the initial three to six treatments for spider veins,
your legs should be 95% to 99% clear of visible disease.
That’s an amazing result! And to add to the good news, you should maintain a high level of clearing for the rest of your life.
However, due to the normal aging process and the constant pull of gravity, those nasty spider veins will constantly be trying to climb back onto your legs. Also, you obviously are genetically predisposed to have vein disease, or you wouldn’t have had problems in the first place.
So, you should not be surprised if some new spider vein problems develop. But because of the lasting effects of your initial treatments, you’ll have about 85 percent fewer problems than you otherwise would have had.
To ensure that your legs will look and feel great throughout your life, Dr. Martin will encourage you to schedule occasional touch-up sessions. If you originally had severe vein problems, an annual checkup is advisable. If you had a rather mild case of spider veins and you experienced excellent clearing with the initial sessions, touch-ups every three to five years should be fine.
Saying goodbye
Most of us don’t like goodbyes. Funerals, geographic relocations, job changes—even happy occasions such as graduations and weddings—can be emotionally stressful. But saying goodbye to varicose and spider veins is just the opposite. It’s pure joy!
