Do Varicose Veins Appear After Treatment?
If you’re considering having your varicose veins treated, you’re probably wondering if the varicose veins can reappear after treatment or if they’re gone for good. After all, if you’re investing in a procedure to remove the unsightly veins, you’ll want to feel confident that the problem will be fixed.
Unfortunately, varicose veins can return after treatment, but you can decrease the chances of this happening based on the treatment you choose and by making some lifestyle changes after the procedure.
Don’t give up hope if you’re seeking treatment for varicose veins. We’ll go into how successful different treatments are for long-term removal of varicose veins and what you can do post-procedure to increase the likelihood that the unwanted veins don’t make a reappearance.
How Likely are Varicose Veins to Reappear After Treatment?
While varicose treatments can be quite effective for removing varicose veins, there are some cases where the twisty, bulging veins reappear.
Some of the factors that can affect the chances of varicose veins returning after treatment are:
- The type of treatment you use
- The severity of your varicose veins
- The cause of your varicose veins
- Your lifestyle and post-procedure care
The type of treatment you use
To rid yourself of varicose veins can affect the long-term efficacy of the results. We’ll go more into the different treatment options later.
The severity of your varicose veins
Can affect your treatment outcome since the varicose veins that are further progressed will be more difficult to treat effectively than those that are newer or smaller.
The cause of your varicose veins
Will impact how likely your treated veins are to remain gone. If the cause is not addressed and managed, your varicose veins are more likely to show up again.
Your lifestyle and post-procedural care
Are the factor that you have the most control over when it comes to maintaining the results of your varicose veins procedure. If you have some habits that contribute to vein disease and you don’t make any changes, you’re more likely to see your swollen veins return. Also, if you don’t follow recommendations for care after the procedure, you could be preventing the benefits from fully manifesting and possibly reversing.
Which Treatments are the Most Reliable for Preventing Varicose Veins from Returning?
There are a variety of treatment options for varicose veins that come with a range of price tags and long-term effectiveness. This is not an exhaustive list, so it’s a good idea to speak with your doctor about which varicose vein treatment would be best for you.
- Ambulatory phlebectomy
- Vein stripping
- Sclerotherapy
- Endovenous thermal ablation
An ambulatory phlebectomy
Is used to treat varicose veins by removing them through several small incisions made in the skin. This procedure has long-term effects for 90% of patients.
Vein stripping
Involves an incision made near the top and bottom of the vein. A wire is threaded through the vein, tied to vein, then the wire and being are removed through the lower incision. This is an older procedure and only has 71% effectiveness.
Sclerotherapy
Is one of the most used treatments for varicose veins. A solution is injected into the varicose vein which causes it to seal off so no blood can flow through. The blood then reroutes to other veins and the varicose vein collapses and is eventually reabsorbed into nearby tissues. This procedure is most effective for smaller varicose veins and can have 80% effectiveness for those small veins. It isn’t generally recommended for larger varicose veins.
Endovenous thermal ablation
Is a minimally invasive procedure where a small catheter is inserted into the varicose vein and either laser energy or radio frequency energy are delivered to the vein to close it off. This procedure has about 90-98% effectiveness for varicose veins remaining closed.
The Best Treatment to Get Rid of Varicose Veins for Good: Endovenous Thermal Ablation
While endovenous thermal ablation tends to be one of the most effective treatments for varicose veins, there is a small chance that the veins may reopen. This can happen if the vein hasn’t fully scarred down or if the vein you’re seeing is an untreated surface vein that became more visible after treatment of the saphenous vein. To alleviate this problem, you may want to ask your doctor about having sclerotherapy or phlebectomy to treat the surface vein when you have the endovenous thermal ablation for the larger, deeper vein.
Sometimes a treatment isn’t effective, but you don’t realize until much later after all of the swelling has gone down and the vein seems to reappear but has actually been hidden by the swelling. See your doctor if you notice a reappearance of the vein after the swelling has subsided as you may need another treatment.
Is There Anything You Can Do to Decrease the Chances of Varicose Veins Coming Back After Treatment?
To improve the longevity of your results from varicose veins treatment, there are some lifestyle changes you can make. In addition, it’s important to follow your doctor’s recommendations for self-care following the procedure.
Some of the lifestyle changes and self-care you can implement to promote vein health and decrease the chance of veins returning after treatment are:
- Wear compression stockings as directed by your doctor.
- Avoid sitting or standing for long periods to promote better circulation.
- Take part in low-impact exercise regularly to get your blood pumping back up the legs.
- Aim for a healthy body weight to decrease pressure on the leg veins.
- Elevate your legs daily to keep blood from pooling in the legs.
Is it Worth Having Varicose Veins Treated if There’s a Chance They Can Come Back?
With a chance of varicose veins returning after treatment, it may not seem worth it to spend the time and money to undergo the procedure. However, there are other reasons beyond the unsightly appearance to have your veins treated regardless of efficacy.
Some reasons to follow through with varicose vein treatment:
- You can experience relief from the pain and discomfort associated with varicose veins. It is surely worth alleviating the heaviness, achiness, and swelling you can get from venous insufficiency.
- Varicose veins can lead to other complications. Leaving them untreated can cause other health conditions that can be more serious.
Summary
Now you know that varicose veins can make an unwelcome reappearance after treatment. You also know how effective different treatments are for long-term relief from varicose veins. Awareness of what can affect the longevity of your varicose vein treatment can help you to make changes in your diet and lifestyle and following post-procedure recommendations can promote healthy veins and lower your chances of repeated venous insufficiency.
While a healthy diet and lifestyle along with appropriate post-procedure care are extremely helpful for decreasing the chances of your varicose veins reappearing, it’s important to seek out professional care if the problem returns. If you’re experiencing symptoms of venous insufficiency that don’t respond to diet and lifestyle changes, contact us today to book an appointment.
