Recovery from vein surgery... slow and painful

I had "numerous" varicose veins stripped on my right leg and lasar treatment (stab phlebectomy) done on 1/14/13 (all on my left legs). I've had really bad varicose veins since highschool and finally decided I needed to get them taken care of (they didn't really bother me but my leg looked awful). I am a 30 year old women who has an extremely high pain tolerance. At my age, I have double break jaw surgery, gallbladder surgery and gum grafting done. I've never had so much pain during a procedure as this one. Not sure if it's common for the rest of y'all, but I was awake during this procedure and injected (more like stabbed) with local anesthesia. During the procedure, I could literally feel everything. I was biting on my sweat shirt and my whole body was shaking (not sure if I was about to go into shock or if it was from all the local anesthesia). Hands down will never do this again without being put under. I'm

A dietitian and work with nurses. They were shocked I was awake for this (again, I had numerous veins).

Recovery for me has been similar to your experiences. The doctor told me I'd be okay for work 2 days later and I had to take the rest of the week off. Walking is painful, even with the stocking. I feel my pain is worse at night when sleeping. Anyone experience this. Sleeping itself is a nightmare. I have a bad right knee and due to having to keep it elevated, it gets super stiff. Like everyone else, bruising badly and standing too long makes me feel like my leg weighs 10000lbs. I have tape over the openings but I'm not sure how they are supposed to heal properly with them being covered and wearing my stocking all the time. Ugh. So ready for all this to be done with and hoping it was worth the 2 grand I paid for surgery. I guess my only question is: how long do I have to elevate my legs while sleeping? It's been a week.

Best of luck to everyone recovering and everyone considering this procedure. It's a gigantic no-funner.

Hello mostly to the ladies,

I had my veins stripped on the 21 January. I had to wear compression stockings during the last 2 of my 3 pregnancies. I also am feeling generally unwell.

Initially I was taking panadeine forte, however this made me feel worse I believe due to the codeine. Now I am not taking any pain relief and feel ok. I had them mainly done on my mid-thigh and knee area.

I also often feel faint and light - headed when I sit and stand up. The bandages are a bit itchy and uncomfortable. I believe that they are needed to minimise bruising and to help the blood to make it's way back to the heart. Also my inner thigh is quite bruised and th bandages keep rolling up around that area. It's all quite uncomfortable.

I often underestimate the effect of situations on myself. I expect to be tough and resilient, when really I have a tough exterior and inside need just as much recovery as any one. I certainly am not super woman. This is a good time to rest up. God knows that we all need a rest and that our bodies need recovery from such an onslaught. I'm not a robot. I am flesh and blood and need time to repair. So I pray to extend to myself enough grace so that I can have that time to return to health.

Hi had my varicose vain out y.day at hospital, i was so scared to get it done but would just like to say the nurses and doctors took good care of me.I got put to sleep and was very scared, but was nothing to it..Felt like i was a sleep for 5min and was all over with..I managed to walk afterword to my surprise. And am now home had my bandages changed today was a bit sore.Bit bruised but would just like to say to anyone who scared getting it done it's not as bad as u think it going to be..And good luck if ur getting it done.Am off work for a while.But looking forward to getting my legs out,when heals all up lol

Just had EVLT on Friday, not so much in pain but more so the pain of wearing these stalkings!!!

I was told from Doctor to wear them for 5 days and 5 nights straight.

They keep rolling off and causing most of the pain!!!!

Not sure what i can do? Any ideas!! HELP!!

Blooming heck - I am on day 4 and I didn't expect this / I feel I was very misled by my research on ligation - had it on both legs and my thighs are almost black - Nowhere did i read that so i panicked initially/ am the worst patient anyway but I have now read people's experiences and realise recovery is slow /

back to consultant today as stockings wrongly sized and at least I have been allowed knee highs now - surgery done by one of the topVascular surgeons in the uk so have to be confident but a surgeon is a surgeon and they are a bit like mechanics - especially when they pull off dressing attached to pubic hair. !' Keep telling hubby I will have lovely legs again - he's not convinced and will probably have left me by then ! Lol !

Not seeing many men that have had EVLT I thought I'd share my experience. I had my left leg done in 2004, at 44 years old. I had it done without anesthesia, I even watched the laser travel up the vein on a wide screen monitor. As the vein collapses, there is a mettalic taste in your mouth for a few seconds, but it passes. Basically they put the laser up the vein, turn on the laser then pull it out while the laser is turned on. After the procedure I had to wear a compression stocking up and over my thigh, and yes my thigh got temporarily black and blue, but plenty of motrin and a lot of walking helped my leg to heal. I was asked to walk a mile a day and I totally enjoyed the walking, especailly to counter the pain. There was pain but certainly not unbearable, and occasional sharp pain early on while walking. Walking was the key to reducing and eliminating the pain. After a month there was no pain and things healed. I'm very glad I had this done and there is no sign of the procedure, just a tiiny scar where the catheter was inserted. The bulging veins are completely gone, and 9 years later I'm very happy with the procedure. Remember, if you can, walking is great way to increase blood flow and reduce pain. If you sit around after this, its going to be painfull for a lot longer. I missed only 1 day of work, the day I had the procedure I stayed home and rested.

I had my first EVLT procedure three weeks ago on my right leg, and my second on the left leg last week. I have four more scheduled, as well as six sclerotherapy treatments schedules for the surface veins after that. I was told that there would be very little pain during the procedure, just the prick from the needle as they injected the anesthesia. WRONG. It wasn't just the prick of the needle that hurt, it was the burning and pressure of feeling the medicine enter my leg. The first procedure hurt, the second one was so painful that I started shaking uncontrollably from the pressure and pain I was feeling in my leg. The nurse asked if I was shaking from being cold or the pain. It was the pain! I am to wear the ace wrap for 48 hrs, then can remove it, shower, then wear compression stockings for two weeks following the procedure. I am to walk for 30 minutes twice a day, not sit for more than 90 minutes at a time, and elevate my leg for 10 minutes at a time a few times a day if possible.

The recovery hasn't been as bad as the actual procedure, but the bruising and soreness isn't a walk in the park. With each leg, I limp for a couple of days due to the pain from the bruising. Sleeping isn't exactly comfortable, especially after having the second inner thigh done since I prefer to sleep on my side, which puts both inner thighs resting against each other.

My calf of the leg I had the first procedure on began becoming numb within a week. (I have to go every week in between procedures for an ultra sound to rule out deep vein thrombosis). The tech said that could be due to the anesthesia working on the nerves in that area. Now it stays sore under the numbness. I will say that before the procedure, my calf always felt bruised from the vericose veins. I also had the bruise on my upper thigh start feeling like I had wasps stinging me the other day (three weeks after the procedure.) The tech today said it's just my bodies way of healing, and the blood rerouting.

I take the arnica, 600 mg of ibuprofen twice a day, and was prescribed hydrocodone that I was told I would only need for the first day of the procedure. That's not true. I had to take it for the first three days or so after the procedure. I guess I understand them not wanting to scare me about how painful it would be, but I went in thinking this was going to be a snap, and it hasn't been!

I haven't had the metallic taste that some have mentioned here, THANKFULLY!

I just keep praying that all of this is worth it!!!!

Good luck to any of you that choose to give this a try!

hi all, i am 45 years old and have just had (2 days ago) varicose vein removal from both legs by the stripping method. I was advised by the doctor to walk 2 miles each day from day one and have done so. pre-op i started taking arnica (which i read about on this site) and have been taking it ever since. apart from a little discomfort (from the stockings, more than anything) i am feeling well. I try not to sit for too long and get up every half our or so to keep the blood flowing. Even though prior to the op i was quite fit (doing zumba classes and power walking) , walking at first was quite scary for me (i was afraid the stiches were going to burst) however, once i get going it is fine. I've been told to wear my stockings for the next two weeks, day and night after which i will be having a follow up appointment and will no longer need to wear them - YES! will keep you posted on any developments, but so far, so good!

So, I'm new to this forum but this I feel like I need to see what others feel about the vein legation. I had my legs lasered and legated last week. I was told that I should be fine to return to work but I'm afraid that I'm not every time I go for a walk like I was told to do I end up getting out of breath I'm afraid that I can't make it through a nine hour shift. My next leg is going to be done in less than a month then the injections. It's so hard to walk sometimes. I feel like an old lady and I'm only 21. I'm normally on my feet all day and that's not going to work for me I just want to know that it's possible to get back to work and through all of this pain. Thanks

It's now 3 months since my vein ligation in both legs . I have had three sessions of sclerotherapy as there was a residual vein . I have small scars from the surgery but they are fading and I have a couple of lumps

On my shin which I am told will disappear . My groin incisions are still red and a bit Itchy but healed

It's taken 2 months to be without any pain or discomfort - the injections are very painful at the time but no problem after except for some itching and they get rid of anything surgery didn't .

My legs are good enoufh to be out for the summer which I unfortunately cannot see much sign of !

It's been a journey and a learning curve - my bruising was really bad from thigh to ankle and I really did struggle in the first few weeks . The injections are like magic - expect some marks and minor bruising initially from ddead tissue but end results very pleasing .

But now I have no visible veins - hoorah