When you are having pain associated with swollen, enlarged, or twisted varicose veins and non-surgical methods have provided no relief, you may be a candidate for varicose vein stripping. Other symptoms that show a need for vein stripping are the potential for blood clots, ulceration, and skin problems. Your Victorville General Surgeon will analyze your personal symptoms and overall health condition to determine if removing the painful veins with vein stripping will resolve your damaged vein problem.
Your surgeon performs this operation in a hospital, and it takes one to two hours for completion. You will need to have someone available to take you home because you cannot drive.
Varicose Vein Removal Procedures
Ambulatory Phlebectomy: Your surgeon uses this operation to remove the veins close to the skin’s surface. You will get a local anesthetic that will numb the surgery area. You will be awake during the operation, but you will not feel any pain. The surgeon makes several small incisions in the skin where the veins are tied off and removed through the incisions. The incisions are closed with sutures, and your legs are wrapped in bandages and compression stockings. After the anesthesia wears off, you can return home.
Vein Stripping: Your surgeon uses this operation for the most serious vein problems. You will get a general anesthetic so you will be asleep during the operation and not feel any pain. The surgeon will make two or three small incisions in your leg for access to the impacted veins. One incision will be in the groin area, and the other incisions will be in the knee and calf or ankle areas. A thin, flexible medical wire is inserted in the groin incision into a vein and guided towards one of the lower incisions. The surgeon ties the wire around a vein and then pulls it out through the incision. After the affected veins are removed, the surgeon removes the wire, and the incisions are closed with sutures. The surgeon wraps your legs in bandages and compression stockings. After the anesthesia wears off, your surgeon will determine if you need to stay overnight in the hospital for observation or if you can return home.
At Home Care
Before you return home, you will receive instructions on how to care for your surgery site. You will know how long you need to wear the compression stockings, when you can return to normal activities, and when to schedule the follow-up office appointments. The normal recovery time varies from patient to patient and can take from two to four weeks.
