Recovery from vein surgery... slow and painful

Inquiries not sure if this discussion is still active seeing that the last post was a year ago but I am reading all of your stories and am a bit nervous. I live in America and have an appointment November 6th for my initial visit to a vein specialist. I had always had small varicose veins around my knee areas but around 21 I started getting the big buldgy ones from around my right knee that ran to the back of the knee then swung back around and up the leg all the way up into my groin but that wasn't an issue until about 14 years later when I was pregnant with my second child at about 3 months along and started getting bad sharp pains in my hootie hoo... well the doctor said it happens with the extra blood volume yadda yadda... and gave me ideas to help alleviate it. After her birth thing went bavk to Mmmmm oral and just the leg bothered me with being hot to the touch and achy and the vein buldge. 7 years later I got pregnant with our last child and only weeks into the pregnancy I was in horrible pain in my groin. Well by 28 weeks my OB/GYN cut my husband off and said in his 25 yeats of work he had never ever seen a case that bad and that he would be prepared for an emergency cut and stitch at delivery. Luckily it didn't rupture at her birth and we hoped it would go down like it did before.. well it didn't... Now 7 more years later I'm 39 and I call myself the elephant man down there cause it is so deformed from the varicose veins. My left leg has since started bulging but at this point I think they are foing to have so much work and stripping to do on my right leg and groin I rhink they will probably deal with the left leg at a later time... I am thankful I found this blog cause I have a more realistic view of what to expect. Thanks and God bless...

I have had the veins in my right leg stripped 5 days ago today, just the one leg at this time as the Consultant said it was too bad to do both at the same time.

The surgery itself (although stressful!!) Was fine. I had an hour in the recovery room and then spent a further 5 hours in a hospital bed recovering, once the nurses were sure I had eaten, been for a wee and walked around the bed I was free to go home. That evening was ok, I elevated the bottom of the bed as the Consultant said and managed to sleep a little and woke with just a little pain. The leg was covered from toe to groin with an elasticated wrap around bandage which has been a nightmare every day falling down. Underneath I have three large cuts, groin, knee and ankle covered with plasters and numerous stab incisions not covered at all. The nurse has called every day to redress the leg and inject my stomach with an anti clotting drug, the last day being Wednesday ( so 7 days). As the bandage has been no use and provided no support it has been taken off today and I am now to wear compression stockings for three weeks. I then have 7 sessions of re education with a Physiotherapist.

Today is day 5 and the pain is worse today than any of the other days, whenever I walk I have an excruiating pain in my thigh, I am taking 4000g of paracetomal a day as prescribed but it doesn't seem to be touching the pain today !!

My Consultants advice is too walk as much as possible and when seated elevate the legs, he has said two weeks off work and then all should be good...heres hoping he's correct but sat here not feeling very optimistic at all, very surprised at how painful it is today, I have had a Caesarean and an Hernia operation and can honestly say todays pain is equivalent...

Good luck to all having this procedure, be prepared for the pain !!

Just a follow-on from my previous posting, it is now a week since the operation and two days since the previous post, I am pleased to say the remaining small bandages on the incisions are off and look fine, the bruising is less painful and the pain manageable. I am now walking 200m a day (in total, not at one time ) and resting with the leg elevated. The nurses have finished their visits. I am due Physio for a week from the 4th November. My experience is probably a little different as in the UK as I am in France but hopefully the information will help someone a little, good luck to anyone waiting for this procedure, after around week you will be fine !!

I started having spider veins on my legs few months back.  As I was a mechanic at Ryder, Canada, I had to long-stand during my work hours. Though it was painless in the beginning, the pain began to increase gradually. After weeks, it became very severe that I was unable to withstand the pain. Later I came to know about Dr. Togba who was an expert laser vein surgeon in Canada. I underwent the treatment and I could completely overcome the pain. But the surgeon suggested me to put a complete stop to my work as it could bring back the previous condition. Laser vein surgery was effective for me and I would like to suggest others for quicker results.

 

Amazing just how different various peoples experiences are. Today is day 7 post op. Visited my GP yesterday to have the dressings changed (unlike one post where the nurse visited every day to change the dressing??) and got rid of the bandage, just support stockings during the day for a further 3 weeks. Agreed with the nurse that the only dressing to remain is the one in the groin. All other smaller incisions (7) appear to have healed nicely and so don't need dressings any more. As for pain, what pain?? And physio, what physio?? For the last 3 or 4 days I go for a 20 minute walk around the village each day, try to keep my legs elevated if I'm resting but apart from that just leading life normally. Now wondering why I didn't get this done years ago. As for laser vein surgery it seems it may be quicker and less invasive but as effective long term as removal? I wonder...

I am 35yrs old and just had the laser surgery done. I had my surgery done last week Monday on my right leg. They said my vain was about the size if a tennis ball and was also just below the surface of the skin, whereas most other patients veins are 3-4i nches below. As a result, massive bruising and intense pain. I just went for my 1st checkup yesterday. They said because of the size and location of my vein that's why it's so bruised and sore. My leg seems to get more sore everyday and the pain medication isn't helping. When I stand up the blood rushes down snd I have a strong pressure feeling in my leg like it's going to explode, with constant throbbing. I also feel the blood trickling down my leg, very weird. On a scale if 1-10 my pain is at an average 5, (laying down) but when i stand up pressure builds and it goes to a 7-8. Sock doesnt help either with this pain. Hurts when wind from fan touches it and also when i take shower its extremely painful. Woke up this morning and now it even hurts while laying down, I'm worried I might have infection and/or doctors may have not done a good job. Seems like it hurts more and more everyday. Has anyone else experienced the pressure and throbbing? Also should I get a second opinion?

I'm also a 5 month post vein stripping patient . I have pain at my incision sites . The area near my ankle stay swollen and my ankle is weak . In cold weather my feet toes are coldest. At times I wonder if I made a bad decision . An did I add my veins have come back in other areas on my left leg I even wear ted hose.

Sorry to hear about your painful experience after your operation .....I have just recently had my veins stripped in my legs 4 weeks ago now thought I would get them both done so I didn't have to go back later on down the track. I had been told it was a long and painful recovery and didn't realize how long and uncomfortable it was going to be! I've been reading all the threads that's been posted which has been comforting to hear that we are all in the same boat when it comes to recovery. I've only just been able to go back to work and the nausea and dizzyness has pretty much gone I've been having nurofen ibprophen as my relief the pain killers I was prescribed made me feel sick . I have also been using huridoid creme for brusing and inflammation which has been a god send. But I have noticed under my incisionincisions I have formed hard lumps which aren't going away that fast....I have got an appointment with my surgeon tomorrow so hopefully this will b resolved soon....hope your legs are feeling better.

Hi, this is my experience so far.

I had the long saphenous vein lasered 7 days ago. What the surgeon didn't tell me until the day of surgery was that he would also be stripping the veins on my calf too (I stupidly thought these would magically disappear after laser treatment!). All under local anaesthetic. Yes, the injections were painful. When it came to stripping behind my knee, the pain was excruciating!! I yelled out and they put another injection of anesthetic in but I still felt the pain. My calf was really sore too and when I mentioned this, the woman assisting laughed and said "what do you expect, you're having an operation!". To which I obviously replied that I wasn't meant to feel anything due to anesthetic!!!

I was so relieved when it was all over. 3 hours later, stocking on and covered in a nice mummy like bandage, I was allowed to go.home. I was already popping painkillers!

I wasn't warned to expect the excruciating pain afterwards. Walk a mile twice a day immediately? Having a laugh! I hobbled around the house for 3 days. I had only one day where I managed to walk a good distance.

Today, 7 days on, my leg hurts when elevated. Painful to stand, to the point where I could just drop. Painful to walk. Just painful full stop. I still can't drive.

Getting the support stocking on is extremely painful!! My.boyfriend does it for me as it's so difficult to bend knee/stretch down to get the stocking over my foot. If he so much as brushes my calf.....dear god, the pain!!!

There are such weird sensations in my calf too, like a rippling, like something is crawling under the skin. That feels really weird.

The top of my thigh is uncomfortable, but bearable. It's just behind my knee, back of lower leg and calf that is causing me such pain.

I've already had 5 days off work, I'm due to go back tomorrow but I can't see that happening!!

Had right leg varicose ligation at groin plus stripping,many cuts in calf removing varicose veins,not as bad for me as others,49 years old ,good shape,no health issues,day one every hour walked for 5 min then foot elevated,day 2 walked every 30 min then elevated legs,day 3 walked every 15 min then elevated,day 4 near notmal activity,took no pain meds,would not hesitate to get other leg done if need be,h ad minimal pain,my surgeon was top notch also,good luck to all

Hello,

I'm sorry that happened to you.. I hope that you are all recover and better now... But I just have some questions and need advice since you had experienced already..

1. Does it hurt?

2. How long is the real recovery time?

3. Is everything better now, is the veins still bother you?

4. What did you do to ease the pain and also what did you do make sure you didn't scar and not to return??