When patients ask How long does vein treatment take?, they’re usually referring to one of three questions: How long is the appointment? When can I return to regular activities? And when will my legs look and feel varicose vein-free?
These questions can be answered pretty quickly. An appointment for vein treatment usually takes one to two hours, though it can be longer or shorter depending on the treatments needed. Most patients are able to return to regular activities on the same day, though exercise may need to wait between one to four weeks depending on your specific treatment. Finally, when your varicose veins fully disappear depends on their size, placement, and other factors. Some veins will go away quickly, others will take weeks, and some may even take months.
There’s more to these answers than you might think, however. At our Milwaukee, Wisconsin clinic, we’ve helped countless people seek vein treatment — and walked many through the timeline and how it can change based on one’s specific procedures.
Before Treatment: Consultation and Ultrasound
Treatment usually begins with a consultation. A vein specialist will discuss your symptoms and medical history with you, then examine your legs. From there, they may choose to perform an ultrasound to identify abnormal blood flow and map the veins requiring treatment.
Using the information gathered during this session, a vein specialist will determine which procedure (or combination of procedures) will best solve one’s issues. For example, a small vein under the skin may require ablation or VenaSeal, while a bulging surface vein may be better treated with ambulatory phlebectomy.
The treatments themselves can vary considerably in terms of their length and recovery time. Here are some of the most common procedures and how long each of them takes.
Endovenous Thermal Ablation
Endovenous thermal ablation is a procedure that uses laser or radiofrequency energy to close an unhealthy vein. This procedure by itself tends to take less than one hour.
Patients who receive this treatment can leave the clinic the same day. They’re also encouraged to walk — in fact, many are able to return to desk work and ordinary activities either the same day or the day after. That said, soreness, bruising, and pulling sensations are common immediately after a procedure — and physically demanding jobs may require additional recovery time before one can return.
During this treatment, the problem vein should close. However, results are not immediate. While symptoms may improve quickly, the varicose vein itself may still be visible for weeks or months following the procedure. A follow-up ultrasound can confirm that the vein has remained closed.
Varithena Foam Sclerotherapy
This procedure works by injecting a special foam into the problem vein. This foam causes the vein to close, allowing blood to be rerouted through healthier vessels.
While the injection is brief, the appointment can take some preparation. One needs to allow time for the ultrasound to be properly positioned, for compression, and for the 10-minute minimum wait the FDA recommends post-injection. Additionally, more than one session may be needed when several veins require treatment.
Tenderness, bruising, and firmness are common in the days following this treatment. That said, most patients are still able to walk and resume normal everyday activities on the same day or day after treatment — though heavy exercise and strenuous movement may be temporarily restricted.
One should see their symptoms improve over several weeks, though the veins themselves can take months to fully fade.
VenaSeal Medical Adhesive Treatment
VenaSeal uses an injected medical adhesive to close a problem vein. Because it does not use heat, it avoids the multiple numbing-fluid injections used during thermal ablation.
The amount of time it takes to perform a VenaSeal treatment depends on the vein being treated. Still, patients are generally able to leave shortly afterward and return to normal activities. As with the other procedures, strenuous activity should be avoided during the immediate recovery period.
Some patients will observe symptom relief within days, and progressive improvements over the next two weeks. Sealed veins shrink gradually, so one’s treated veins may be visible for several months following treatment.
Ambulatory Phlebectomy
Ambulatory phlebectomy removes prominent surface varicose veins through tiny openings, typically performed under local anesthetic. It is often combined with treatment of a deeper refluxing vein.
This procedure tends to take between 30 minutes and an hour to complete, though it can take longer if numerous veins are being treated.
Unlike other procedures, this one sees the veins be physically removed. As a result, the visual and structural results of the procedure are immediate — though bruising, swelling, and tenderness may temporarily hide both cosmetic and physical improvements.
While walking is generally encouraged right away, returning to normal life takes a few days — and activities like heavy lifting and swimming will likely need to wait until puncture sites heal.
If you’re curious about vein treatment, reach out today to schedule a consultation.
