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Ambulatory Phlebectomy

is gaining popularity because it is minimally invasive, has better cosmetic results than conventional surgery, does not involve general anesthesia, and it is done in the office or at the hospital. Local or regional anesthesia is used, multiple pinhole incisions are made along the side of the diseased vein which is fished out using a specially designed hook. Some surgeon prefer to use the tip of a large bore needle rather than a blade to make the incision.

The leg is elevated at the end of the procedure and the bed of the removed vein is milked from its blood content; the small incisions do not need to be sutured, the leg is bandaged with compression dressing that is kept for 3-5 days and nights. If your toes are numb or your foot is pale or blue, you should notify the surgeon or loosen the dressing that might be too tight.

You should expect to see bruising, indurated areas, and redness when you remove the dressing. All discoloration will usually disappear over a period of 6 to 8 weeks.

You are advised to resume your normal activities, at home, the day following your surgery, you are not supposed to be in bed, it is recommended to do walking exercises, and to avoid taking Aspirin. If you need to take anything for pain or discomfort, try Tylenol.

Depending on your line of work, you will have to take one to three days off.

Some of the disadvantages of this procedure is that it does not treat all veins, it is technically more demanding and not all physicians believe that it is better than sclerotherapy.