In our last post we discussed the value of graduated compression stockings before an EVLA procedure. Now we turn
to the use of compression after vein treatment.
Graduated compression after EVLA
has been proven to decrease swelling,
a common outcome associated with the procedure. Additional benefits for the patient are decreased discomfort,
potentially decreased risk of blood clots, and
potentially decreased risk of pigmentation, or staining of the skin.
Immediately following an EVLA
procedure, patients are asked to put on their compression stockings. Vein
specialists will ask patients to wear compression stockings for the first two
weeks following EVLA treatment, any time the patient is on her or his feet. (Compression
stockings are also prescribed following sclerotherapy
treatment, usually for between five days and two weeks.) Graduated compression
stockings should never be worn to bed.
Compression
is critical for the most efficient and effective healing process.
For years, patients suffering
from varicose veins and other vein conditions had few options for treatment. Now,
endovenous
ablation, or EVLA for short, is considered the gold standard in vein
treatment. EVLA is minimally invasive procedure that is done on an outpatient
basis, and recovery time for most people is very quick.
Graduated
compression stockings play an essential role before and after vein
treatments, including EVLA. Anyone that undergoes EVLA, sclerotherapy
or other treatments for venous insufficiency must wear graduated compression
stockings immediately following the procedure and during the recovery period. What
some may not realize is that there are reasons to wear compression before
treatment too.
Before a vein procedure, wearing
compression stockings gives a person a snapshot of what vein health feels like.
Since compression alleviates symptoms, it becomes easier for a phlebologist
(vein specialist) to tease out, or confirm whether the leg pain is due to
muscular-skeletal issues, the nervous system, or venous disease. Another
benefit to wearing compression prior to treatment is that it’s good to confirm
that the patient can tolerate stockings, and/or that the stockings fit
properly. (After the procedure is the worst time to discover that the stockings
don’t fit!)
Alternatively, many who think
that they could never tolerate compression stockings try on a modern
stocking and find them quite bearable. Since compression prevents the
progression of vein disease and controls symptoms, some people may even decide
to take a more conservative approach, rather than proceed with definitive
treatment.
