Post Treatment Guidelines
Once you’ve finished treatment, there are some instructions we’d like you to follow to optimise safety.
These are likely to include the following:
- Compression stockings – for the first three days they are to be worn 24 hours a day. For the following 11 days you may wear them in the day time only, removing them for sleeping and showering.
- Walk an hour a day for two weeks after treatment. You can split the walk into two x 30 minute walks.
- No sports, heavy lifting or straining for two weeks.
- No alcohol or smoking on the days of treatment.
- No long-haul flights for one week before and one month after treatment.
Car trips – break up any long car trips by going for a 15 minute walk every two hours during the trip.
Try to avoid anti-inflammatory medication during treatment such as Aspirin, Nurofen and Voltaren. If, however paracetamol is not sufficient, you may take these medications as long as they do not cause you stomach upsets.
We will put you on a blood-thinning medicine if we think you’re at risk of a blood clot.
Before treatment, your varicose veins may feel soft and spongy. Afterwards, they’ll be firm and tender and lumpy. The lumps and tenderness may persist for a few months.
Lasting Results
Unfortunately, there is no treatment which will last forever for your varicose veins. Radio Frequency Ablation is considered the gold standard and will give you the longest lasting result. Some people may experience a recurrence of varicose veins over years and this can be addressed with repeated treatments when necessary. In order to encourage the longest lasting result, it is important to stay active, maintain a healthy weight and wear compression hose as a preventative measure if you are motivated to do so.
