I had swelling in my left foot and my doctor confirmed that the valves in two of my veins were not working properly. I had these veins closed with endovenous laser ablation, but four weeks later I still have swelling in my foot that doesn't go away. Is this normal?
A brief follow-up office visit with duplex ultrasound will give the answer to your question. A certain percentage of patients have temporary swelling of the treated leg after thermal ablation, especially if ankle veins were also treated, but you should be checked for thrombosis if the swelling is significant.
Published on Jul 11, 2012
If the swelling is still the same or has increased, call your doctor. You should see a decrease in swelling after four weeks.
Published on Jul 11, 2012
It may be due to more bad valves, so you need a follow-up visit with your treating physician.
Published on Jul 11, 2012
Swelling is not uncommon and may be due to the procedure or the compression hose. However, it usually resolves by four weeks. It might just need more time, but maybe your doctor should re-check you.
Published on Jul 11, 2012
This can be normal, but when this occurs we always ask a patient to come back to the office for an evaluation. You should contact your physician for a follow up evaluation.
Published on Jul 11, 2012
There are a number of possible reasons: 1. You might still have abnormal veins called perforators that can cause the swelling. 2. You might have abnormal valves on the deep veins of your legs (deep venous insufficiency). 3. You might not exercise enough or elevate the legs at night. 4. You might not be wearing the right compression stockings. 5. The treated veins might have re-opened again. 6. You might have a deep vein thrombosis. 7. The swelling in your feet might not be due to vein disease and you might have either heart or kidney problems that make you retain fluid. 8. You might be eating too much salt. 9. You might be taking certain medications that can make the feet swell up. There are few more possibilities, but these are the most important ones. You are advised to follow up with your treating physician for evaluation.
Published on Jul 11, 2012
It definitely could be normal if you had multiple causes of leg/ankle swelling, and only the venous cause was treated. Unless you are evaluated for other possible causes of your leg swelling, it would be hard to tell you for sure. You should have a venous ultrasound done after the procedure to rule out any complications, such as blood clots, that could be leading to your swelling.
Published on Jul 11, 2012
Prior to doing endovenous laser procedures with confirmation by Doppler ultrasound that indicates if there is venous insufficiency, we would do a trial of compression hose therapy, If this helps the swelling, it is likely that the procedure CAN alleviate swelling. We cannot guarantee this as it could be related to other issues. I would recommend continuing to wear your compression hose daily, remaining well hydrated, do lots of walking and elevate your legs as often as possible. You are very early in the post-operative period so give it some time. In some patients it can take around 3 months to resolve if the venous insufficiency is the cause.
Published on Jul 11, 2012
Does the swelling subside with leg elevation? Some swelling is normal after a procedure like that, but if there are still veins to be treated, the swelling might continue as you've described. Follow up appointments are always necessary to determine the cause of symptoms like swelling.
Published on Jul 11, 2012
Swelling following EVLT is normal and can last 6 to 8 weeks. However, I am not sure that your pre-venous closure swelling was due to your incompetent valves. You can have non-functioning valves which have nothing to do with the swelling or swelling that has nothing to do with the valves.
Published on Jul 11, 2012
Swelling in the leg can be normal a week or so after Endovenous laser ablation but the swelling should resolve as you heal. In those cases where the patient had swelling even before the treatment, that swelling can take months to resolve, assuming that the swelling is 100 percent due to the vein issue. If you had congestive heart failure causing the swelling, it probably will not go away. You also want your doctor to check and make sure that you do not have a DVT.
Published on Jul 11, 2012