Varicose vein treatment can improve your circulation.
Coincidently, 3 patients today all asked the very same question as to what effect vein treatment would have on their circulation. The simple answer requires a basic understanding of the structure of the human circulatory system. 2 main divisions exist-oxygenated blood travels thru arteries away from the heart to cells. Deoxygenated blood returns to the heart thru veins. Disease states like diabetes or smoking can lead to narrowed arteries compromising nutrients and oxygen to cells. This is one form of “poor arterial circulation”. Varicose veins and sometimes foot swelling is often a venous form of poor circulation. Inflammation and back pressure can lead to blood traveling down your leg instead of returning back towards the heart. By eliminating these diseased vessels other normal veins with normal valve function can help to return venous blood in the proper direction. So patients with lower leg swelling can often benefit greatly by having treatment of their damage veins and thus improve some of their venous circulation. Deep vein clots, pregnancy, heart disease, and other disease states must be ruled out or treated properly prior to simply eliminating diseased varicose veins to fully improve vein circulation. A complete medical history and physical plus a venous ultrasound exam is the best initial screening prior to having any vein treatment.
I have several pregnant patients who complain about painful varicose veins which have gotten worse during their pregnancy. Conservative measures – stockings, bedrest – have not appreciably improved their condition. Is sclerotheraphy or laser ablation safe and effective in pregnancy?
In general elective vein therapy, both scelerotherapy and endovenous laser, is avoided until approximately 3 months post delivery. This relates to the increase of clot forming during pregnancy and early postpartum. We certainly will evaluate pregnant patients with vascular ultrasound exams and rule out clots, phlebitis and inform patient what may need to be treated in the future. Much of the pregnancy related increase of surface spider and blue green reticular veins will regress quickly postpartum. Documented venous insufficiency of the main veins of the superficial venous system(greater & small saphenous veins) usually will require treatment in the future. Events like vein related bleeding can be treated with elevation, compression, and rarely ligation with local anesthesia.
The good news for future pregancies in patients with severe vein related pain and venous insufficiency is endovenous thermal ablation. The somewhat dated approach of suffering with leg vein pain until you are done having children now has better alternatives. In the past, the high recurrence rate & permanent leg scarring of surgical stripping and ligation made enduring multiple pregnancies with severe vein related leg pain very common. However, less invasive techniques with much lower recurrence and no downtime, make endovenous thermal ablation a truly viable option. It should be done electively between pregnancies. We have treated many patients who have benefited with minimal or no leg pain in future pregnancies.
Finally for mothers who are breast feeding, sclerotherapy and endovenous laser can be safely done. For sclerotherapy a conservative approach is to pump prior to procedure and discard breast milk for perhaps 24 hours so as not impart a taste issue.
Thanks very much for your query.