I Get Vericose Veins from Pregnancies. Should I Wait to Repair Veins Until I Am All Done Having Children?

Question

I have had had one EVLT surgery done and it did not seem to help much. It actually seemed to worsen the situation because a new varicose vein emerged directly over my knee cap which is very painful. I have lots of spider veins on my foot and ankle area....I read that there is a limit to the amount of times a doctor can do sclerotherapy. My fear is that If I go ahead now and clear up my ankle and foot that it may all come back my last pregnancy and then they will not be able to repair it. Advice?

David Hansen, MD · Answer

You don't have to worry, sclerotherapy can be done as many times as needed to clear to spider veins.  Usually 3-5 sessions are average to clear spider veins @ $450/session. It is true that you may gain some new varicosities with each pregnancy but having had previous sclero won't be a problem. Just do sclero after each pregnancy to keep those great looking legs. Sincerely,

	David Hansen,MD

Sabrina Fabi, MD · Answer

Varicose veins can also stem from perforator veins (veins that connect your deeper venous system to the superficial system you can actually see).  So although you had a EVLT of your great saphenous vein (most commonly), it may not prevent others reticular and varicose veins from developing. The best way to know is to get an ultrasound. You can then have sclerotherapy of the remaining vessels if necessary.  Pregnancy can make varicose veins worse, so treating them prior to getting pregnant may help prevent them from worsening from what they are now.  Good luck.

Mitchel Goldman, MD · Answer

Varicose and other veins which occur during pregnancy tend to go away or at least become smaller within 2 months of delivery. Those veins that remain after 2 months will become worse with the next pregnancy and lead to the development of even more veins. I therefore recommend treating leg veins BEFORE pregnancy. Treating veins before they are made worse will PREVENT new veins from arising as well as make the pregnancy go more smoothly. Why have aching legs during pregnancy when they can feel great if they are treated before.

Hugo Pin, MD · Answer

If you wait longer and have another pregnancy before treating your veins, you will only aggravate the problem. You will have much less chance of seeing the veins coming back during or after pregnancy. There is no limit to the number of times you can have your veins injected. You will never run out of veins, don't worry!

John Landi, MD · Answer

Since you have already had one EVLT with a recurrence of veins at the knee, I would recommend having a venous reflux ultrasound done before your next pregnancy.  If you have reflux that has caused the painful recurrence, this should be treated.  The ultrasound will also show the status of the valves in the opposite leg which will give some info on your chances of developing veins in that leg.  If you have reflux in the leg that you had EVLT, I would treat the reflux and the varicose and spider veins before a new pregnancy since they will most llikely worsen during the pregnancy realizing that there still is a chance of new veins forming with a pregnancy.  Also, there is no limit as to how many times you can have sclerotherapy.

I Get Vericose Veins from Pregnancies. Should I Wait to Repair Veins Until I Am All Done Having Children?

Answers (9)

Answer: Do not wait

Answer: Do not wait

Answer: Get venous evaluation.

Answer: Get venous evaluation.

Recommended reading

Everything you need to know about Sclerotherapy

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.

I Get Vericose Veins from Pregnancies. Should I Wait to Repair Veins Until I Am All Done Having Children?

Answers (9)

Answer: Do not wait

Answer: Do not wait

Answer: Get venous evaluation.

Answer: Get venous evaluation.

Browse related questions

Recommended reading

Everything you need to know about Sclerotherapy

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.