There are many exciting stories about operations to remove varicose veins. How does everything really happen? How long does rehabilitation take and are there any scars left? Phlebologist, angiosurgeon Olga Poznyakova told everything.

- What methods of treating varicose veins exist today?

- There are many approaches to treating varicose veins, it all depends on the stage.

In case of fine mesh, spider veins, small wreaths - that is, more of a cosmetic manifestation than the disease itself - we resort to sclerotherapy or the now fashionable KLAX. What is the difference? During sclerotherapy, a special medicine is injected into these veins, which glues them together from the inside. This, of course, is not superglue, so you don’t have to expect that the next day after the procedure you will wake up with a clean and beautiful leg. At first it will look even more scary: there will definitely be bruises, the veins may become denser for a while. But then the blood from the sealed vein resolves and it sticks together. The vein itself is transparent, does not protrude, is not visible and resolves. This is the first method of struggle. This is also where we include KLAX when we add laser processing. In addition to injecting the drug, we shoot the veins from the outside with a special pistol. That is, I will not hit all the veins with a needle to remove them, but with a laser from above I will really completely eliminate everything. It is this procedure that is used in aesthetic phlebology, when there are many, many scattered ugly wreaths that need to be eliminated.

Of course, if you already have varicose veins, we use surgical treatment methods. At the moment, we have practically moved away from operations in the “old-fashioned way,” as patients say - abdominal operations, when an incision was made in the groin, under the knee, an iron pin was inserted into the vein and it was torn out of the leg. This is very scary, now I don’t even tell patients in most cases about how we did it before.

Now all operations are carried out according to the principle short, save, simple - that is, short, safe and simple. They are carried out using laser technology, that is, the main veins are eliminated using a special laser wire. Through a tiny puncture, about two millimeters, a laser wire is inserted into the main vein, and it is sealed from the inside. And those veins that stick out outside are also removed through small punctures with a special Varady hook. After the operation there are no stitches or incisions. All these punctures are sealed with special adhesives for a week, and compression stockings are put on. A person gets up from the operating table and walks home on his own feet; there is no need to stay in the hospital. Lunchtime surgery, as it is called, is performed under local anesthesia.

- Does anything remain: small scars, cicatrices?

- Punctures that are two millimeters may be visible as moles on the leg. But, of course, there is no such thing as before, with scars.

- How long does the rehabilitation period last?

- The rehabilitation period, as I already said, got up and went. That is, the patient gets up from the operating table with his own legs, I even say that he needs to walk for another half hour or forty minutes. And after that he calmly goes home.

Of course, physical activity, be it the gym or a job that involves lifting weights, [should be put on hold]. To girls who have small children (varicose veins are very common after pregnancy), I say: “For the first week, let your husband carry the child in his arms, and you step back a little.” That is, you lead your normal lifestyle without unnecessary physical activity for a month, and then return to your normal lifestyle altogether. We even allow you to return to the gym, only with clarification of the exercises that can be performed and those that cannot be performed. By and large, nothing changes in life after surgery.

bbabo.Net