Are you putting off vein treatment because you think it will take too long and recovery will be too time consuming? Worried you won’t be able to afford time off from work and other life responsibilities?
Even in health-threatening situations, people feel as though their bustling schedules don’t allow the time it’ll take to get a procedure done. But despite what you may think, the vein treatment process has been streamlined to work around your mega-busy life. In fact, many procedures can be done and recovered from in less than a day.
Here we will break down how long each vein treatment takes and what the recovery process will be like. Once you learn how easy and convenient these procedures are, you’ll be ready to book your first appointment!
The Truth About Vein Treatments: Duration and Recovery Time
We’re pretty sure no one likes painful, grueling, and excessively lengthy treatments that leave us feeling exhausted and totally unmotivated. So you’ll be pleasantly surprised to know that all the treatments we provide at Delaware Advanced Vein Center are exceptionally quick and require little to no recovery time. Here’s what you can expect when you get any of the following treatments at our clinic.
Ambulatory Phlebectomy
Ambulatory phlebectomy is one of the most minimally invasive treatments for varicose veins. During the process, a teeny-tiny needle is used to make a small incision near your enlarged vein. A hook is then used to graciously remove the vein from your skin.
The procedure usually takes between 30 minutes to an hour depending on how many veins are being treated. Afterward, the incision area is wrapped in a bandage and patients can feel free to live their lives as they please. We do recommend you take it easy until you have your post-treatment follow-up two days later. Skydiving, marathon running, or extreme sports playing of any sort should be avoided momentarily.
Ideally, you would only need to have one ambulatory phlebectomy to rid yourself of varicose veins for life. But some people may need multiple rounds. This can depend on the size and number of varicose veins you want to treat. You can have multiple veins worked on at once, but this lengthens the duration of the procedure. If you have lots of varicose veins to fix and no more than an hour to do it, you may want to make an additional appointment.
You’ll be relieved to know that the recovery period for an ambulatory phlebectomy is pretty much nonexistent. Especially compared to surgeries that require you to be off your feet for weeks. You might start to miss your varicose veins a bit, but you’ll be too busy showing off your newly beautified legs!
Sclerotherapy
Sclerotherapy is a remarkably quick vein treatment used to diminish the look of spider veins. It differs from other venous treatments as it uses a snazzy medical solution called sclerosant to collapse the vein within your body. This forces the lining of your skin to stick together and your body to absorb the vein. Eventually, the itsy bitsy spider vein will cease to exist.
You may need multiple rounds of sclerotherapy in order to eliminate your spider veins once and for all. This is reliant upon the severity of your spider veins as well as your age and overall health. In general, spider veins respond to sclerotherapy in three to six weeks, and larger veins respond in three to four months.
If you find yourself sensitive to treatments of any kind, even ones as painless and easy as sclerotherapy, it may be best to spread treatments out over several weeks. Luckily, each session of sclerotherapy is very quick. It usually takes 10 to 30 minutes—so short your boss won’t know you left work.
There’s no recovery period for sclerotherapy. Though you may feel slightly sore around the incision area, it’s right back to the grind after the treatment is done. Once again, a procedure made to fit our footloose and fancy-free lives.
Venous Ablation
Venous ablation is a method used to treat varicose veins and venous insufficiency. During the procedure, a small catheter is inserted into the affected vein. It then emits radio-frequency heat to disrupt the structure of your vein walls. This causes the vein to collapse and ultimately absorb into your body.
Venous ablation is less of a cosmetic procedure and more for the sake of relieving discomfort caused by your vein condition. It’s often used in patients experiencing significant pain or swelling from varicose veins or venous insufficiency. Each round of the procedure only takes 45 minutes. But like the other vein treatments we’ve discussed, depending on how intense your vein condition is, you may need multiple rounds over the course of weeks to be completely effective. Just think of it as more quality time spent with your vein specialist.
The recovery period for venous ablation is slightly more involved as post-treatment bruising and discomfort may last a few days. But considering how much it can reduce the pain you’ve endured from your vein condition, we swear it’ll be worth your time.
Venous Ultrasound
Venous ultrasounds are a necessary part of identifying any turmoil going on within your veins. They are taken before treatments to detect venous insufficiency. During the ultrasound, a probe is used to measure your blood flow and see if it’s traveling in the opposite direction. This all-powerful procedure also measures the size of your veins and can even detect deep vein thrombosis.
The good news for those nervous about vein treatments is that venous ultrasounds are completely non-invasive. They don’t hurt a bit, they don’t require needles or incisions, and they allow you to return to work right away. Most importantly, they give you the answers you need to make important decisions about your future vein treatments. How efficient!
What’s the Best Time of Year for Vein Treatments?
There’s never a wrong time to schedule vein treatments, but there are definitely more strategic times of the year for having them done. Isn’t one of the biggest inspirations for ridding your skin of spider and varicose veins to have fun in the summer sun while wearing your favorite swim trunks or sundresses? It may be hard to confidently do that with a big bandage on your legs. Fall is thus the prime time for starting vein treatment, giving your plenty of time to recover before warm weather rolls around again. Especially if your varicose or spider veins are abundant and you suspect you’ll need multiple rounds of treatment.
Vein specialists say it’s best to stay out of the sun for the first couple of weeks after your treatment. That’s because sun exposure can cause skin discoloration in the area where your procedure was done. Your post-treatment bandages and compression socks will go perfectly with all your autumnal layers. And cooler temperatures make going out for a breezy walk in the leaves much more enjoyable. Getting lots of steps in keeps your blood circulating, which is an absolute must for a full and healthy recovery.
Make Time for a Vein Treatment
Time can be a barrier to getting procedures of any kind. But when it comes to sclerotherapy, venous ablation, ambulatory phlebectomy, or venous ultrasounds, the sacrifices are truly minuscule.
All of these procedures take very little time and involve little to no recovery time. These highly efficient treatments are made to disrupt your life as little as possible. Plus our free virtual vein consultations only take 30 minutes. You now have one less excuse for putting off vein treatment—contact us today!