The operation to remove varicose veins has a number of features. To avoid the re-development of pathology, you need to know how to behave after the surgical treatment. During the rehabilitation period, the patient must follow a series of recommendations that the attending physician gives. How to avoid the appearance of varicose veins after surgery will be described later.
Features of the procedure
Many people are familiar with such an unpleasant phenomenon as varicose veins. Recovery after surgery depends on patient behavior. Phlebectomy is a surgical procedure during which an enlarged vein is removed. This allows you to normalize blood circulation in deep vessels.
If the doctor insists on carrying out the procedure, you can not hesitate. The faster the treatment is carried out, the faster the blood flow normalizes.
There are a number of indications for phlebectomy, the main ones are as follows:
- extensive varicose veins;
- saphenous veins dilated pathologically;
- legs are constantly swollen, quickly tire;
- there are signs of poor blood outflow;
- there are trophic skin disorders that cannot be treated with conservative methods;
- trophic ulcers appeared;
- acute thrombophlebitis with varicose veins.
Varicose veins in the legs after surgery may return again if the patient ignores the recommendations of doctors. But in some cases, surgery may be contraindicated. These are the following cases:
- at a late stage of the disease;
- at elevated pressure;
- if there is coronary heart disease;
- with severe infectious processes;
- the patient has reached old age;
- if there is eczema, erysipelas, pyoderma, inflammatory processes of the lower extremities;
- during pregnancy in the second and third trimester.
Varieties of operation
One of the rather dangerous diseases is varicose veins. Recovery after surgery takes time. It depends on the type of procedure shown to the patient. So, during the operation, different techniques are used. Their complexity and morbidity are different. The choice is made by the doctor, taking into account the features of the course of the disease.
Usually after surgery, very small scars 4-5 mm long remain. After removal of the veins, the main load in the bloodstream is taken by the deep and connecting vessels. Sutures are removed on 8-9 days. After that, you need to follow a number of recommendations of doctors.
One popular procedure that replaces conventional phlebectomy today is laser vein removal. This procedure is performed under local anesthesia. But even after laser surgery, varicose veins can appear again. If provoking factors are not excluded, such a situation is quite possible.
During laser miniflebectomy, a very small puncture is made on the skin. This is a painless technique, which is characterized by a very short recovery period. The patient should not be in the hospital. A bruise forms in the area of vein removal. It goes through 2-3 weeks on its own. After a month, there is no trace of varicose veins. The blood flow is improving, but it needs to be properly maintained.
Rehabilitation
Rehabilitation after surgery for varicose veins consists of several stages. From the very first hours after surgery, you need to turn and bend your legs. The bed should be raised from the side where the lower extremities are by 8-10 cm. This improves the outflow of venous blood.
The next day, an elastic bandage is applied after surgery for varicose veins. You can also use compression knitwear. The patient is shown to walk, but only after bandaging the limbs. The doctor prescribes physiotherapeutic treatment, light massage. This is necessary in order to prevent the development of thrombosis.
For 1-1.5 weeks you can not do aerobics. Exercise on exercise bikes is prohibited. During this time, you can’t visit the sauna, bathhouse, swim in very hot water. Its temperature should be moderate.
As soon as the stitches are removed, the patient is prescribed a course of physiotherapy exercises, water procedures. Throughout this time, the patient wears compression underwear in accordance with the recommendations of the doctor. Particularly important are special physical exercises for the elderly. This helps prevent the development of complications. Venous outflow will not slow down, and the risk of postoperative thrombosis will be minimal.
Complications
To restore the functions of the circulatory system in the limbs, to prevent the development of complications in the legs after surgery for varicose veins, it is necessary to clearly follow the recommendations of the attending doctor. To understand why it is so important to adhere to the established treatment regimen during rehabilitation, you need to know what complications are possible with improper patient behavior.
The more severe the damage to the veins, the greater the likelihood of developing a pathology. On the first day, bleeding from wounds may occur, bruises appear. During the operation, small vessels are not bandaged, so a small amount of blood flows from them. Bruises are small, pass through 1-1.5 weeks.
Thromboembolism, in which arteries become clogged when the thrombus is separated, is much more dangerous. This situation can be triggered by deep vein thrombosis. This is a rare complication caused by a slowdown in blood flow, infection of the wound, prolonged bed rest.
Prevention of thromboembolism involves getting out of bed one day after the operation, as well as moving legs lying on the bed an hour after surgery. Prescribed drug therapy aimed at improving blood properties.
Basic Recovery Guidelines
After surgery for varicose veins of the lower extremities, it is necessary to provide a comprehensive preventive effect on the body. The development of possible complications should be prevented. It is necessary to fulfill a number of requirements:
- Start moving as early as possible. This prevents the development of congestion, which ensures the proper functioning of the blood circulation.
- Wearing special underwear. Compression stockings after surgery for varicose veins support the veins, not allowing their walls to stretch. Such underwear is also worn in order to prevent the development of pathology. Elastic bandages can be used. When using them, the blood flow in the legs accelerates several times. After the operation, both legs are bandaged. A bandage is applied from the bottom up. Need to bandage the leg from the fingers to the knee. After that, you can stand up and walk.
- Taking medications that are antiplatelet agents. Other drugs that normalize microcirculation in the vessels of the limbs may be prescribed. This speeds up regeneration.
During a normal operation, the patient is under the supervision of doctors in a hospital for 3-5 days. Sutures are removed depending on the healing speed of the incisions. Compression dressings are worn for a long time. This allows you to restore the functioning of the veins, restore their ability to properly transport blood.
Medications
After surgery for varicose veins, care must be taken so that trophic pathological processes do not develop. The doctor prescribes a number of medications that will help prevent the development of the disease again. The following drugs may be prescribed:
- Medicines based on acetylsalicylic acid, pentoxifylline. They normalize microcirculation in small vessels.
- As an addition to the main therapy, the intake of antioxidants and vitamins is indicated.
- If after an operation with varicose veins the leg hurts, pain medications are prescribed, for example, “Analgin”, “Ketanov” or other similar means.
- To restore the tone of the veins, the doctor prescribes the appropriate medications. This may be the drugs "Troxazin" or its analogues, "Detralex", "Phlebodia", "Venarus" and other similar means. They can be made on the basis of troxerutin or diosmin.
- If the patient has a violation of the digestive tract, parenteral administration of antiplatelet drugs may be indicated.
During the rehabilitation period, the course of drug treatment lasts at least 2 weeks. The treatment regimen, the duration of the course is determined solely by the attending physician. Self-medication in this case is unacceptable.
Cosmetic effect
Many patients are interested in what the consequences of surgical treatment will be, whether this will affect the beauty of the legs after surgery. Varicose veins can recur. If you misbehave, even healthy veins can become diseased. The sooner treatment is started, the more effective it will be, the less serious the consequences will be.
The cosmetic effect depends on the stage of the pathology, on what methods were used during treatment. If the stage has not been started, with microphlebectomy, scars can be avoided. Ugly bulging veins are completely removed, and the incision will be minimal. In this case, the appearance of the legs will only improve. Supporting procedures will help to preserve it, not allowing relapse.
It is worth remembering that with an advanced stage, trophic ulcers, extensive pigmentation and dermatitis appear on the legs. Even after surgery, these defects remain on the legs, and scars also appear on the skin after surgery.
Also, the result of the operation depends on the individual predisposition of the human body to the appearance of scars. Scars in some people can be very thin, almost invisible. Other people have a rough, protruding scar above the surface of the skin.
Physiotherapy
After surgery, with varicose veins, trophic disorders can be observed. They are accompanied by an inflammatory process. To prevent the development of negative consequences, special procedures are prescribed with elements of physiotherapy. In this case, the patient is prescribed:
- Quartz irradiation.
- After some time, UHF therapy is performed.
During the rehabilitation period, a light self-massage is recommended. This must be done to prevent thrombosis, eliminating the occurrence of stagnant processes. This procedure should be carried out very carefully, rough movements are prohibited. It is necessary to apply a light effort in the massage process so as not to harm your health.
In the process, you need to move from bottom to top. Massage is activated only after consultation with the attending physician. The patient must be trained to perform such actions correctly. Otherwise, a positive effect can not be expected.
What else do you need to know?
After surgery for varicose veins, the suture heals within 2-3 months. The scar will form completely six months later. During this time, you need to be very careful about this area of the skin. Simple rules should be followed:
- In the process of bathing, you can not use coarse, hard washcloths. It is also forbidden to apply a scrub to the skin of the legs.
- Seams are processed with a soaped hand. Movement must be careful. Over time, you can use soft sponges.
- Do not wash off traces of iodine or brilliant green that remain after surgery. Excessive friction is unacceptable.
- You need to swim in warm, but not hot water.
- If the scar is very itchy, this place is treated with iodine.
- When crusts are formed, they cannot be cut off. When the wound is completely healed, it will fall away by itself.
- If spot redness or the ends of the thread appear in the seam area, you need to contact the surgeon again. It will extract foreign objects. Threads can cause inflammation. After their removal, the seam is smeared with iodine for several days.
- You need to add blood thinners to your diet. It can be cherries, pomegranates, grapes, etc.
Limitations
If varicose veins are detected, it is important to undergo a surgical procedure as soon as possible if the doctor suggests it. In this case, the consequences will be minimal, and the risk of complications can be reduced to a maximum. After the surgical treatment, the patient must comply with all recommendations, which include certain restrictions.
You can’t go to baths or saunas, because this can lead to a relapse. The disease at elevated temperatures can go to the next stage. Therefore, exacerbations occur more often in the summer.
A few weeks after surgery, you can not visit the pool. Otherwise, it can adversely affect the condition of the scar. Until he heals, such procedures must be discarded. The incision site should not remain wet for a long time. This leads to complications. After taking a bath, the shower needs to be wet with a dry towel. In no case should you rub it. Movement must be careful.
Doctors do not recommend patients to lie on the bed after surgery without getting up. You need to bandage your legs and walk. Walking should be unhurried. Over time, it will be possible to perform special exercises to restore blood circulation in the limb.
Prevention lasts quite a long time. This is necessary in order to eliminate the recurrence of varicose veins. Only after complete restoration of blood circulation, normal functioning of the veins will it be possible to refuse compression underwear. It is important to eat right, just relax. Walking in the fresh air can improve the functioning of the veins, strengthen the strength of the body as a whole.