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Perth's Leading Specialist in the Treatment of Varicose Veins

Dr Luke Matar | MBBS, FRANZCR, FACP

Compression Stockings

Compression Stockings

Compression Stockings and Vein Treatment

Compression stockings gently squeeze the veins and muscles of the leg. This helps blood flow from the lower legs up toward the heart, and helps move fluid up the leg to avoid it collecting around the ankle. The stockings help prevent blood from pooling in the veins which in turn helps relieve pain and swelling. Wearing of compression stockings after vein treatment prevents the varicosities from developing again and reduces post-treatment discomfort.

Why compression stockings can help

Compression stockings are often required after your vein treatment, and you will need to wear them for a specified time (usually between 14-21 days, day and night, depending on the type of treatment you have had) to promote healing, reduce discomfort, and prevent pigmentation or deep vein thrombosis. Regardless of whether you have received treatment for varicose veins or spider veins, it is recommended to avoid sun exposure in the days after your treatment.

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The first step is an initial assessment

Head to our Patient Journey page to find out more about our booking process.

Patient Journey
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Compression Stockings Before Treatment

Often if your venous condition is not yet severe enough to warrant medical intervention or you are not ready for treatment yet, wearing compression stockings can provide relief from the symptoms of venous reflux.

The compression helps simulate correct blood flow and wearing compression stockings when sleeping can help relieve the frustrating symptoms of restlessness and cramping that often interrupt sleep.

Wearing them during a long day of being on your feet can also help with aching pain and swelling.

You can purchase our medical grade compression stockings to trial wearing at any time.

If you find relief from wearing stockings it is often a good indication that you will have significant improvement from having your veins treated.

Compression Stockings After Treatment

Compression Stockings After Treatment

The use of compression stockings is important to take the best possible care of your legs following varicose vein treatment. You will need to wear them for a specified time (usually between 14-21 days, day and night, depending on the type of treatment you have had) to promote healing, reduce discomfort, and prevent hemosiderin staining or DVT.

It is also recommended to avoid exposure to the sun in the days after your treatment.

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Stages of Vein Treatment

Stage 1

Treatment of large malfunctioning veins (trunk)
  • Endovenous Laser Treatment (EVLA) to great, small, and/or anterior accessory saphenous veins. 60 minutes

Stage 2

Treatment of large varicose veins (branches)
  • Phlebectomy removal of larger bulging varicose veins 90-120 minutescombined with

  • Ultrasound-Guided Foam Sclerotherapy (UGFS) on smaller veins. 30 minutes

Stage 2

Treatment of small varicose veins (branches) if required
  • Extra sessions of UGFS to close smaller veins if identified as required at post-treatment follow-up scan 30 minutes

  • You may not require this stage.

Stage 3

Optional treatment surface veins (leaves)
  • Usually done by Microsclerotherapy 30 minutes

  • Most patients require multiple treatment sessions to remove spider veins.

Stage 4

Stage 4
Follow up and maintenance to ensure best results
Learn more about treatment stages

Medical Grade Compression

At The Vein Clinic we use medical grade Class II compression stockings. This compression strength is recommended for varicose veins and post-treatment recovery. This type of compression stocking is more intense than the stockings you may receive on an airplane flight or in the hospital. It is important that the right type of stocking and compression strength is used, otherwise the stockings can be ineffective. We prefer all patients to purchase their stockings directly from The Vein Clinic to ensure that the appropriate grade of compression is used.

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Do I Need Treatment for Varicose Veins?

You could benefit from treatment for varicose veins if you experience any of the following vein problems.

Take the First Step Towards Healthy Veins

Make an Appointment

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do I have varicose veins?

Most varicose vein issues are hereditary. If you have one parent with varicose veins your risk of having them is around 65%. If both parents are affected the risk rises to approximately 90%. Another main risk factor for women is pregnancy, with the risk increasing with each additional pregnancy. Standing occupations such as hairdressers, nurses, and chefs also have a high risk of varicose veins as gravity puts pressure on the veins and weakens them.

How do I prevent varicose veins?

Once varicose veins are present, they will not resolve of their own accord. Measures to reduce the rate of progression include maintaining a normal healthy weight and going for regular walks of 20-30 minutes per day. Reducing the length of time spent on the feet in a stationary position may help and alternating between standing and sitting positions during the day will also reduce the pressure on the veins.

What will happen if I don’t treat these veins?

Generally, without treatment, varicose veins will get progressively worse over time. Symptoms may occur such as heaviness, ache, pain, and tiredness in the legs towards the end of the day. Further progression may result in leg swelling, itch, skin discolouration, and eventual skin ulceration. Blood clots related to superficial venous thrombosis may also occur in severe cases and can lead to the more serious condition of Deep Vein Thrombosis.

What treatment options exist?

Outdated, old-fashioned options such as surgical stripping are rapidly becoming obsolete due to poor long-term success, with recurrence rates of up to 50%. Modern treatment options include endovenous laser ablation, sclerotherapy injections, and ultrasound-guided ambulatory phlebectomy. In many cases a combination of different treatments will give the best long-term results.

Will the veins come back after treatment?

Many people are concerned that the treatment will be of limited value because the veins will just come back. This was certainly the case in the days of surgical stripping with a 50% recurrence rate at 5 years; however, using the latest minimally invasive techniques, we can reduce the risk of recurrent varicose veins to the baseline risk of approximately 3% per year.

What is the downtime following treatment?

This depends on the type of procedure performed and the severity of the veins being treated. Modern treatment with laser can involve no time off work and approximately two weeks off heavy gym work and four weeks off international travel.

Get In Touch

Please send us an email and we’ll be in contact very soon or alternatively, call us on (08) 9200 3450.

If you are unsure of what vein condition you may have,  assess your legs with our online tool.

If you are looking for cosmetic spider vein treatment only, please click here.

 

 

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