How Long Will It Take to Recover From Vein Ablation?

Varicose veins and chronic venous insufficiency (CVI) can be uncomfortable and cause serious health problems, affecting your quality of life. If you are dealing with these vein issues, you should speak to your doctor about vein ablation treatment.

What Is Vein Ablation and When Is It Used?

Vein ablation is a procedure to close off the varicose veins and redirect the blood flow to healthier veins.  
Even though varicose veins are a cosmetic concern, they can cause pain in certain cases. If left untreated, they can also cause infection, blood clots, and rashes. Venous insufficiency occurs when your veins are ineffective in carrying blood back to the heart. If left untreated, CVI can lead to inflammation, leg ulcers, and internal tissue damage. While there are many treatment options to cure varicose veins and CVI, one of the most effective and minimally invasive procedures to treat them is vein ablation.

What to Expect During Vein Ablation?

During the procedure, your vein doctor will sterilize and numb the treatment area. This will also help to ease any discomfort experienced during the procedure. They will make a small incision to insert a catheter tube into your affected vein and send energy from the RF (radio frequency) generator through the tube to close the vein. You might feel a slight pressure at this point. Once the varicose vein is closed, your doctor will remove the catheter and Band-Aid the incision. They will place a compression stocking on the treated leg to prevent swelling, bruising, and blood clots. 

What Happens After the Procedure?

It is essential to follow the post-procedure instructions recommended by your vein specialist to ensure proper healing. These instructions may include the following:

• Wearing compression stockings for 3-4 days.
• Keeping the legs elevated when sitting.
• Walk every hour for about 2 minutes and take short walks for a few minutes every day.
• Removing any tapes, gauze, or bandages from the treatment area after three days (but do not remove steri-strips, let them fall off themselves).

Your affected veins will dry out and dissolve after 10-14 days of a single vein ablation treatment session. The results of radiofrequency ablation will be visible after a few months of the procedure.

What Is the Recovery Time?

You can resume most of your normal activities right after your vein ablation treatment, but you must avoid prolonged sitting and strenuous exercises for one to two weeks. Your vein doctor will prescribe over-the-counter medications to ease pain and discomfort from the varicose vein treatment (vein ablation). 
Possible Side effects

This procedure might result in certain side effects as given below:

• Mild bruising or discoloration or bruising around the leg area.
• A mild painful sensation may be experienced by the patients, especially where the anesthesia was placed.
• The affected leg or ankle might swell after the procedure. However, generally, this swelling subsides within a few days.

If you are looking for a reputable vein clinic in Suwanee for treating varicose veins or other vein diseases, contact North Atlanta Vascular Clinic and Vein Center today to schedule an appointment.