Post RFA 1 week after. How long will the numbness around the site of RFA will go away?

It’s important to distinguish between varicose veins and spider veins when choosing between laser therapy, sclerotherapy, and vein surgery. With two board certified vein specialists, our center uses a combination of visual examination, functional flow measurements, ultrasound, transillumination, and infrared light to map out vein networks prior to therapy. Lasers can be used to treat deep varicose vein insufficiency, vein perforators, and varicose veins. Sclerotherapy is ideal for spider veins and reticular veins. Whereas surgery is reserved for severely incompetent varicose vein segments.


Best,
Dr. Karamanoukian
Realself100 Surgeon

It is normal to experience minimal numbness and pain around the site a few days to a few weeks and occasionally a few months afterward. Keep wearing your compression stockings, and take exercise lightly.  These symptoms typically go away.

The sensation that you are feeling can last anywhere from a few days to a few weeks.  It is best to try to just work through it, as it will go away with time.  There is sometime saphenous nerve irritation with the RFA procedure and that can cause numbness that may last for a few months.

Apply a horse chestnut based cream to the area to relieve inflammation in the area. It also contins Arnica montana. See link below for Omega Vein Cream from Plato's Medicinals. The tugging feeling thta you are experiencing is due to shrinking of the great saphenous vein along the long axis of the body following ablation.The VNUS Closure catheter is at least 8 times wider than endovenous laser catheters and can cause some discomfort at the insertion site. Hratch L Karamanoukian MD FACScertified vein specialist

Thank you for the question! It's not uncommon to experience some discomfort and numbness one week after RFA. On average, the sensation of numbness will resolve in a couple of weeks but it may persist up to a month. It's great that you are wearing compression stockings to aid the healing process; also make sure to refrain from strenuous physical activities. You should be able to enjoy your final results in about a month after the procedure. 
An in-person exam with a board-certified plastic surgeon is the best way to assess your needs and obtain expert medical advice. Best of luck!

The majority of patients after radiofrequency ablation (RFA) report improvement in their symptoms within one to two weeks following the procedure. Follow up with your physician after the procedure for your post procedure ultrasound scan 3-7 days after procedure to evaluate for lower extremity deep veins patency and closure of the superficial vein that was treated with RFA. It can take more than 1 month to see full results for your treatment. Other recommendations are to wear compression stocking for at least a week and up to three weeks following the removal of the ace bandages and at this time you only need to wear it during the day and not at night. Try to avoid strenuous exercise and heavy lifting for two weeks after the procedure. 
All the best,