Phlebectomy

Cosmetic Surgery Procedures in Costa Rica

Ambulatory phlebectomy is procedure that consists in the removal of varicose veins on the surface of the legs. It can be done at your doctor’s office under local anesthesia in Costa Rica. The treatment involves making tiny punctures or incisions through which the varicose veins are removed; these incisions are so small that no stitches are required afterwards. Veins are very collapsible, which means that even large veins may be removed through the tiny incisions used in this technique. The patient is able to walk following the procedure. Ambulatory phlebectomy is recommended for medium and large varicose veins.

Most patients experience little to no discomfort and generally don’t even need pain medication after the treatment. In fact, you may stand and walk right after treatment, then return to work the next day.

Phlebectomy Prices

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Adequate Candidates

Ambulatory phlebectomy may be used to remove both asymptomatic and symptomatic superficial veins from the skin. Typically, treated veins are the larger, bulging (raised) and varicose veins, although smaller veins may also be removed with using this treatment. An ambulatory phlebectomy procedure may be combined with other therapies in the treatment of venous diseases.

Patients who are allergic to the local anesthesia, who are not able to walk on their own and who cannot wear the compression stockings (due to arterial circulation problems) are not adequate candidates for this treatment. Any active infection or rash in the treated areas needs to be resolved before any kind of treatment can commence.

The Procedure

For a Vein removal surgery (ambulatory phlebectomy), your HCR physician begins by numbing the area with a local anesthetic; this means that the procedure is virtually pain free. Small incisions (as small as 1 mm) are made on the outside of the vein. A tiny hook is then inserted into the incision and a small portion of the varicose vein is removed. This is repeated until the entire vein has been eliminated. Ambulatory phlebectomy is a quick procedure, and because the incisions are so tiny, no stitches are required.

For the removal of varicose veins, doctors have actually developed a few procedures from which to choose from.

Surgery

The objective of this procedure is to remove as many of the problematic veins as possible and is performed under general anesthesia. At all moments, doctors try to maintain the ‘deep veins’ intact, since these change in these veins can cause serious circulatory problems, especially the saphenous vein (which runs the groin to the ankle).

Incisions are made in the problem areas in other to remove the varicose veins. Since these are superficial veins, they can be removed without complication, since they do not have a significant role in returning blood to the heart and taking them out does not affect the circulation of the leg at all.

This procedure can take up a few hours, since it is tedious and precise. By removing the problematic veins, the pain and discomfort the patient was experienced disappears; however, this surgery does leave scars, so you most keep this in mind. Also, the more widespread and detailed the procedure, the more time it will take for new varicose veins to surface.

Laser therapy

This newly developed treatment is being experimented with by some of the most experienced surgeons in the removal of varicose veins. The objective of this procedure is to concentrate a continuous stream of high-intensity light to destroy or cut tissue.

Since this procedure is relatively new in the industry, its effectiveness hasn’t really been determined, however, the results of varicose treatment using this therapy are highly promising and can have left many satisfied patients feeling better about themselves. For further information, please click here for more information.

Sclerotherapy

Please visit the section of our site dedicated to this treatment for further information. You can find it here.

Post-Op – After The Procedure

After treatment, a compression bandage and/or compression stocking are worn. Your doctor will advice you on how long you will need to wear any bandages or hose. Many physicians recommend that you walk or bike after treatment. By doing so, you can reduce the pressure in the veins, increase the flow in the veins and reduce the risk of any blood clots forming.

Bruising and swelling can be expected and are only temporary. You can walk immediately after surgery and carry on normal daily activities except for heavy exercise and/or heavy lifting. You must follow the activity restrictions and wear the compression stockings as directed by your HCR physician. The small incisions heal well without sutures and after six to 12 months, they are practically imperceptible. Your varicose veins are physically removed and therefore should not come back. However, you must keep in mind that depending on other factors such as family and personal history, new varicose veins may develop over time.

Health Issues

As with any type of surgical intervention, complications are unusual, but they sometimes do happen. However, they are usually minor and can be reduced by precisely following your doctor’s directions before and after the procedure. When it comes to ambulatory phlebectomy, the following are related complications:

Unexpected tenderness or soreness – If you have more than the average amount of bruising, swelling or inflammation after the procedure, you can experience temporary tenderness and soreness that may last longer than the average 1-3 days. All of these problems are temporary and they resolve completely given enough time.

Nerve irritation – Occasionally, nerves that are adjacent to the extracted vein can be irritated by the procedure. This can lead to a small area of numbness or an area that just doesn’t “feel right” where the sensation in your skin is mildly altered. Although some mild irritation of surrounding nerves happens in about 5% of patients, it is almost always mild and resolves completely after some time. In extremely rare cases, the nerve irritation can persist and be problematic.

Infection at an incision site – Rarely, a mild superficial infection can develop at an incision site. This is usually just a minor complication which slows down the healing of the incision and does not normally lead to any more serious consequences.

Make sure to ask your doctor concerning any risks you might have to face when undertaking this surgery. However, you must keep in mind that our certified group of doctors works full-time to prevent such scenarios from happening, since we value the health of our patients above anything else.

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