I had varicose vein stripping surgery on both legs last November.. I has been half a yer now and I still feel pain and chills in both legs. Also, some parts of my legs feel hard and numb. I'm confused. I felt fine during the first month after the procedure. Is what I'm experiencing normal? If not, what might have gone wrong and what should I do?
Vein stripping is a brutal and entirely unnecessary vein treatment technique. When ever anyone strips out a vein, they are severely traumatizing the inside of the leg. The result can be nerve damage, scarring, etc. The mistake you made was actually allowing someone to perform a stripping procedure on you in the first place. There are more modern techniques the now allow us to treat almost any vein without having to cut or strip anything.
Published on Jul 11, 2012
Your complaints are not consistent with the normal post op course after phlebectomies. I am not sure your complaints are related to the surgery. You should be re-evaluated.
Published on Jul 11, 2012
Numbness is normal this long after the procedure. Sometimes the physician cannot get all the vein out and so some of the vein is left to be reabsorbed by the body and it will feel lumpy for a while. I'm a little surprised you have pain still. Have you gone in for a follow-up ultrasound? There might be areas where you still need treated. Was sclerotherapy done in conjunction with the phlebectomy? Those two done together make for the best results. Go in for a follow-up and make sure your physician is accredited by the American College of Phlebology.
Published on Jul 11, 2012
I would recommend a follow-up appt with your surgeon. Numbness can occur after vein stripping.
Published on Jul 11, 2012
I cannot explain why you feel chills in both legs. The hardness is probably due to trapped, clotted blood in partially removed veins. The numbness is due to nerve irritation. A year and a half is a long time for these symptoms to be continuing. You should see a vein specialist and, perhaps, have a venous duplex exam.
Published on Jul 11, 2012
The symptoms you are experiencing are not uncommon after vein surgery. You may have more veins that need to be treated. To determine this, you will need to have an ultrasound. Also, vein stripping is not always the best method when compared to other vein treatments like foam sclerotherapy and endovenous laser ablation.
Published on Jul 11, 2012