What to Expect After Vein Ablation?

Wear compression stockings for 72 hours

You must wear compression stockings for at least 72 hours after the vein treatment. Compression stockings are skin-tight garments that apply pressure on the leg veins and push the accumulated blood towards the heart. You need to wear compression stockings to improve the results, minimize and reduce swelling, and facilitate optimal recovery. Even after the first 72 hours, you should continue wearing compression stockings for intermittent periods for several days.

Walk frequently throughout the day

You must walk frequently throughout the day to facilitate optimal blood circulation to the heart. When you walk, your calf muscles push the blood in your legs towards the heart, thus preventing the accumulation of blood in leg veins. You should ideally take two 30-minute walks in a day and, if possible, walk for shorter periods throughout the day. You should also avoid sitting or standing for long periods — take walking breaks in between.

Avoid heavy lifting for a few days

You should avoid lifting heavy objects for a few days after your endovenous vein ablation procedure. When you lift heavy objects, you place more pressure on the leg veins, thus increasing the risk of collapsed veins or blood accumulation in leg veins. You can resume most of your daily activities, but please avoid heavy lifting for a few days.

Resume your daily activities and work immediately

You can resume most of your daily activities and work immediately after endovenous ablation therapy. Minimally invasive procedures, such as laser ablation and radiofrequency ablation, don’t involve any downtime or extended recovery period. The radiofrequency ablation varicose veins recovery time is minimal — most of our patients seek treatment during their lunch break, following which they resume most of their daily activities.

Who Needs Endovenous Vein Ablation?

Endovenous vein ablation is meant for patients with chronic venous insufficiency, the root cause of most vein problems. Venous insufficiency is a chronic circulatory disorder caused by the collapse of vein valves. In healthy veins, the valves act as one-way doors that ensure smooth one-way blood circulation to the heart, often against the force of gravity. When your vein valves collapse, gravity forces blood to flow backward and accumulate in the leg veins, leading to vascular dilation and the eventual formation of spider veins and varicose veins.

You may need endovenous vein ablation if you have any of the signs and symptoms of vein disease. The earliest signs of vein disease include leg heaviness, restless leg syndrome, frequent leg cramps, leg discomfort, and spider veins. But as the condition worsens, you may also notice varicose veins, skin discoloration around the veins, non-healing leg wounds or ulcers, and blood clots in leg veins (deep vein thrombosis). If you notice these problems, please contact our vein doctors for a thorough diagnosis and treatment for varicose veins.

What Happens During Vein Ablation?

Endovenous vein ablation can be performed using two techniques — radiofrequency ablation and laser ablation. Both vein ablation techniques have the same goal, but they’re performed using different techniques. Below, we describe the two vein ablation techniques.

Radiofrequency Ablation

Radiofrequency ablation involves using thermal energy to destroy the diseased saphenous vein. The vein doctor channels thermal energy to collapse the diseased vein, and the accumulated blood reroutes into healthier leg veins.

Laser Ablation

Laser ablation involves using laser energy to destroy the diseased saphenous vein. The vein doctor channels laser energy into the diseased vein via a laser fiber. The diseased vein is destroyed, and the accumulated blood flows into healthier leg veins.

Vein Stripping vs. Ablation

Vein stripping is the traditional surgical procedure for varicose veins. Vein stripping is a surgical technique wherein the vein doctor physically removes the diseased saphenous vein from the body. It’s performed under general anesthesia, involves multiple excisions, and the recovery period lasts for several days or weeks. Compared to vein stripping, vein ablation is a minimally invasive outpatient procedure that concludes within 30 minutes and involves no downtime. Vein ablation is also more effective and has a lower rate of recurrence.

You should only look for vein doctors who provide endovenous vein ablation and other minimally invasive vein treatments. Please avoid vein stripping and other surgical procedures.