vascular.co.nz>surgery for varicose veins
When is surgery the best choice for my varicose veins?
Can I live without my varicose veins?
Preventing deep venous thrombosis
Before your
varicose vein operation
The surgery for your
varicose veins
How successful is varicose vein surgery?
After your
varicose vein surgery
Possible complications
of varicose vein surgery
Returning to normal activity
References
Varicose vein links
When is surgery the best choice of treatment for my varicose veins?
Surgery is often the best option for varicose veins visible beneath the skin. It is usually most effective in the largest varicose veins which will be completely removed. It is also effective for smaller varicose veins. Surgery will not help thread or spider veins which are found within the layers of the skin itself and cannot be physically removed. Smaller reticular veins are also best treated by sclerotherapy.
In general the more pronounced the varicose veins the greater the benefit from varicose vein surgery.
Preventing deep venous thrombosis
The oral contraceptive pill and hormone replacement therapy both carry a small risk of causing a deep venous thrombosis. Surgery also carries a small risk of thrombosis, so it is advisable to stop the contraceptive pill or hormone therapy for one month before the operation and two weeks afterwards. This is to reduce the risk of thrombosis. It is important that other contraceptive methods are used. Some surgeons disagree on this point, but in my practice I prefer to reduce even small risk wherever possible.
Sometimes your surgeon may feel it necessary to prescribe injections of heparin for you around the time of your surgery. This is particularly important if you have had a previous deep venous thrombosis. Heparin injections thin the blood and reduce the risk of thrombosis. Compression stockings are also used around the time of surgery to reduce the risk of thrombosis.
Before your varicose vein operation
You will be seen by the surgeon who is to perform the operation and the position of the veins will be marked while you are standing. This is important because when you are lying down during the operation, the veins are much less visible.
The anaesthetist will also visit you. Many people are concerned about anaesthetics, so please ask the anaesthetist if you have any specific worries. The nurses on the ward will also have talked with you about the nursing procedures and post operative care. All of these people are ready to answer any questions you may have, so ask if you have any concerns.
The surgery for your varicose veins
The operation is usually performed under a general anaesthetic and you are asleep and unaware throughout the procedure. The commonest operation (high tie or saphenofemoral ligation) is where a cut is made in the groin over the top of the main varicose vein. This is then disconnected where it meets the deeper veins (femoral vein). A main varicose vein (greater saphenous vein) on the inner aspect of the leg is then removed (stripped). I use ultrasound guided tumescent anaesthesia along the vein to be stripped. This technique minimises any discomfort but also significantly reduces any bleeding into the track that remains after the vein has been removed.We know that performing the stripping operation is beneficial in terms of both the overall appearance, venous function and the subsequent risk of recurrent varicose veins (Sarin S et al. 1994, Bergan JJ 1996). Stripping the greater saphenous vein was shown to decrease the risk of re-operation by 60% (Winterborn RJ et al, 2004), although it did not affect the risk of recurrent varicose veins in this study. Blood can still flow up the leg along deeper, unaffected veins. The cut in the groin is closed with a stitch. Other veins marked before the operation are then pulled out of tiny cuts (avulsions). These cuts are usually only 2-3 mm long and are closed with adhesive strips and only occasionally with stitches. Modern varicose vein surgery, with ultrasound planning and ultrasound available in theatre is far removed from procedures performed n the past.
There are newer techniques available to ablate the greater saphenous vein (GSV) in the thigh, without physically removing the vein. These techniques are VNUS radiofrequency ablation (RFA) and endovenous laser ablation (EVLT). Both seem to be effective in the short to medium term and may ultimately become established procedures as effective as conventional surgery. At present the durability of these procedures in the longer term is unknown, they require expensive additional equipment and do not physically remove the GSV. Although EVLT can ablate the GSV (Sharif et al 2006), longer term follow up has not been performed in large numbers of patients (Mundy et al, 2005). Consequently, EVLT has not been adequately compared with the gold standard of conventional surgery and results may deteriorate with longer term follow up. There are also many different EVLT lasers on the market all with their own theoretical advantages and proponents and with different working wavelengths. RFA is a promising technique particularly with the newer ClosureFast technology.
Neither EVLT or RFA have been shown more effective than tried and tested surgical techniques. It is also important to remember that EVLT and VNUS Closure are a replacement for the high tie and stripping part of conventional surgery. Separate procedures are required to deal with any other varicose veins and this may take the form of foam sclerotherapy or surgical phlebectomy. One particularly awkward situation to treat with EVLT or RFA is the patient who has sizeable veins running across the front and outside of the thigh (antero-lateral thigh veins). If these originate right at the sapheno-femoral junction then EVLT or RFA will not be effective.
One recent report on VNUS radiofrequency ablation has rather worryingly highlighted a high rate of deep venous thrombosis (16% or 1 in every 6 patients), many of whom required significant intervention (Hingorani AP et al, 2004), but this does not seem to have occurred in other practices.
A further new technique to remove bunches of varicose veins in the leg especially the calf is also available. The Triflex device involves sucking many of the veins out of the leg using a custom made instrument. This technique appears to have no particular advantage and has not been shown to be superior to conventional avulsions and still involves making cuts in the leg (Chetter IC et al 2006).
Some other veins may also be affected, especially a vein behind the knee and a similar operation to that in the groin may need to be undertaken at this site (saphenopopliteal ligation). EVLT can also be used to treat the small saphenous vein at this location.
A coating of skin glue will be placed on the cut in the groin, and your leg will be bandaged up to the top of the thigh. The bandages put on at the operation will stay on your leg until the following day when they are changed to stockings. Regimes vary slightly between different surgeons.
How successful is varicose vein surgery?
Varicose vein surgery has been shown to be clinically effective as well as cost effective (Michaels et al 2006, Ratcliffe J et al 2006). In a UK study of high tie with or without stripping, 88% of patients were satisfied with the results of their original surgery, even after 11 years (Winterborn et al, 2004). This was despite an overall recurrence rate of 62% at 11 years. A recent study (Sam RC, 2006) has also demonstrated the benefits of superficial venous surgery on quality of life. The benefits in terms of the improvement in the quality of life for patients undergoing venous surgery was as great as that for patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy (removal of the gall bladder).
Surgery remains the gold standard against which other techniques must be judged and at present there are no good comparisons. Other techniques such as Duplex guided foam sclerotherapy rarely treat the veins at a single session and require multiple sessions to achieve an equivalent short term result, but the longer term results are not clear. Some techniques, including sclerotherapy, cannot efficiently disconnect the sapheno-femoral junction (high tie) in the same way as surgical ligation. In the study of Winterborn the presence of reflux at the saphenofemoral junction two years after surgery increased the risk of developing clinically recurrent veins.
The results of surgery for varicose veins will vary. In general, a detailed pre-operative assessment followed by surgery targetted to the sources of reflux feeding the varicose veins will produce a better result. The assessment and surgery should be performed by a vascular specialist.Globally, many clinicians are involved in treatment of varicose veins. These include sclerotherapy specialists, dermatologists, appearance medicine practitioners and general surgeons. There is a risk of recurrent varicose veins, whoever is involved in your care and whatever claims they may make. There are two main reasons for this. Firstly the nature of the disease will always put patients at risk. It is a life-long (probably) inherited tendency and over years new veins can appear whatever the treatment, no matter how carefully performed. Secondly, some techniques if not applied correctly may lead to increased risk of recurrence.
Recurrence rates are difficult to compare because definitions of what constitutes recurrence vary from study to study. For instance if the development of thread veins is considered a recurrence, then the majority of patients will develop recurrent veins. This is because thread veins are so common and present in the majority of people over the age of 50 years. The development of larger veins is less common.
After your varicose vein surgery
Following the anaesthetic for 48 hours you
should not:
-drink alcohol
-drive a car
-operate any dangerous machinery
-sign any legal document or make important decisions
-look after children on your own
Keep the wound as dry as possible for the first 48-72hrs. The bandages can be removed at 24 hours and you can change into stockings which will be given to you before you leave hospital. The stitches can be removed at 10 days by the district nurse or your own GP. You should not get the adhesive strips on your leg wet for the first 7 days. Care will be needed when washing. You should wear the stockings day and night for two weeks, after which you may leave them off at night. You may need to wear stockings during the day for approximately four to six weeks. Shower or bath in the usual way, after removing the stocking.
You will notice that the inside of the thigh can become quite bruised after the operation where the vein has been stripped. This will gradually resolve over the next three to four weeks. For the first week sit with the feet elevated so that your heels are higher than your hips to aid the drainage of excess fluid from the tissues and assist healing. Three times a day take a short walk (a few hundred yards will do, but more if you wish) to avoid stiffness of the muscles and joints. Generally try to keep moving when standing, as this helps to reduce pressure in the veins and minimises the risk of thrombosis occurring. Slight discomfort is normal. Occasionally, severe local twinges of pain may occur in some patients and may persist for some months. In the first week after the operation you may need to take a mild painkiller such as paracetamol to relieve discomfort.
You should avoid driving for about one week from the operation because, in an emergency, your response time may be prolonged. It is essential that you are able to perform an emergency stop and routine driving manoevres without pain or having to protect the operated leg. If in doubt, delay driving until you are happy and check with your motor insurance company. Swimming and cycling are allowed after the dressings have been removed.
Possible complications of varicose vein surgery
Sometimes a little blood will ooze from the wounds during the first 12-24 hours. This usually stops on its own. If necessary, lie down, elevate the leg and press on the wound for ten minutes. If bleeding continues after doing this twice, phone your General Practitioner or the ward. Occasionally hard, tender lumps appear near the operation scars or in the line of the removed veins. These can be present even some weeks after the operation and need not be a cause for concern. However, if they are accompanied by excess swelling, redness and much pain, they may represent a wound infection and you should see your General Practitioner.There is a very small risk of developing a deep vein thrombosis. Approximately 1 in 20 people can develop a DVT following varicose vein surgery, but these clots are usually small and confined to the calf veins. There were unlikely to be longer term problems in these patients (van Rij AM et al, 2004). The best way to prevent DVT is to be active. Walking is the best exercise.
Rarely numbness can develop in a part of the lower leg or foot. This usually occurs due to pulling on nerves during the operation. If the skin is not completely numb, then the symptoms usually settle after some weeks or months. The scars on your legs will continue to fade for many months.
You will have been warned that not every visible vein will disappear as a result of your operation and there is a chance that in the future, further varicose veins may develop, as you are clearly disposed to them. The taking of regular exercise, the avoidance of becoming overweight, and the wearing of light support tights or stockings will all help prevent you being troubled by varicose veins in the future. There is no foolproof way of preventing varicose veins.
Returning to normal activity
You can return to work when you feel sufficiently well and comfortable. This will vary from person to person. After an operation on one leg about two weeks rest from work is advised. If you have had surgery to both legs, it will probably be nearer three weeks before you are able to consider returning to work. If you have a job that involves much standing and your varicose veins were particularly severe, you may need longer. Your General Practitioner will advise you about returning to work in the light of your progress after the operation. It is possible to perform desk work and light duties virtually from the beginning.
The video below shows removal of veins from the leg (avulsions) during varicose vein surgery.
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Last updated> 23 May, 2010