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POSTED UNDER EVLT REVIEWS

EVLA - Things Got a Million Times Worse - Orange County, CA

ORIGINAL POST

I had a bulging vein at the back of my calf, so I...

myanna555
$3,000
I had a bulging vein at the back of my calf, so I went to check it out. Sometimes my leg would ache if I sit through a 3 hour long lecture, for example, long, unpleasant dull pain. The doc said something was wrong in the vein, needed to be removed, said it should be done with laser. Okay. First 2 weeks post-op were regular weeks, as they are described in all EVLA/ EVLT brochures. Bruising, pain (but tolerable), etc. A month later hell started, when all the bruising was gone, all the stockings were supposed to be removed, and supposedly a great life should have begun. The leg began aching non stop, with new, nasty aches I never knew before, literally EVERYWHERE - thigh and groin: dull pulling, sometimes pulsating, sometimes throbbing, "uneasy", "tired" kind of pain. Under knee - sharp, sudden pulses. Calf - as if something was crawling under it. Worst of all would be the thigh/groin and the foot - the foot is sometimes killing me, I can't stand on it for a long time. Mostly the heel area and the ankle. This one is the pain that makes you run for the strong pain killers. I went to urgent care after one night when my foot started swelling (i NEVER had swollen feet/legs ever before, even with varicose veins), they did u-sound on me, fearing the DVT, but that was not the case. I made an appointment with another vascular doctor, which is not until in a month, because was just not happy with the treatment I was receiving at the office I had the surgery done, also I am quite upset at how things went, straight downhill. What used to be some occasional discomfort turned into non stop debilitating pain/condition that makes me wonder what on earth has the doctor done to me. It has been 3 months since the EVLA and 2 months of this so called agony. I am on pain killers and in compression hose non stop - seriously, I only take it off when I have to shower, it is ridiculous. Legs look normal - but I know for a fact that the doc injected the bulging one, so this was not the EVLA that removed the bulge.

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Dr. Duensing

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Replies (11)

June 30, 2014
I'm glad you went to urgent care to see if you had a DVT.  I'm sorry you are dealing with so much pain and discomfort.  It sounds like your current doctor's office isn't being very helpful about helping you with the pain, is that right?  Let us know what you find out at the new doctor.

Thanks for sharing on RealSelf.
July 7, 2014
I was just not satisfied how the doctor handled the visits and the surgery itself, very little information was provided to me, last visit he basically ran into the room very quickly, gazed quickly at the u-sound papers and basically was ready to run out. I just can't deal with such "cattle" and "mold" attitude - I am a human being and only have two legs, if one gets screwed by a bad surgery or the surgery I maybe never needed, i can't replace with another one, right? also i feel we all have different problems and maybe one surgery is good for one but bad for the other. It just seems awful weird that I feel thousands times worse after the procedure.
December 19, 2014
I am 3 years out from having this same procedure. I still have such horrible leg, groin, and feet pain. I have doctored everywhere and no help at all. They acted like I was the only one with this issue after vein removal. I hope you get better as I have been struggling forever. I can not stand for more than a few minutes in one spot as the leg heaviness settles in. I am in my 40s and healthy, so really sucks having this problem with my legs. These vein doctors do not tell you the true side effects!!! I would never do it again and tell everyone I know to not do the EVLA or EVLT.
May 24, 2017

I know this is an old post but my husband is going through the same now, 10 months post treatment it's only getting worse, we have seen every specialist I can think of from Neuro to pain etc nerve blocks and nothing works. Has anyone found relief ? Please ..Anyone reach out to me so we don't feel alone in this. The vascular who did this Insist it's not related . thank you

January 14, 2023
Hello, I was just wondering if you would advise against this surgery.. keep hearing it only gets worse if I don't do it I really don't know what to do
January 15, 2023
It was that bad? Im really not sure what to do about this surgery on one hand I don't want things to get worse from not doing it... And on the other hand I don't want things to get worse from going through with it.
January 28, 2015
I just had the same procedure done 3 weeks ago and you have described exactly what I am going through. The doctor won't won't see me because he says it's not from the surgery. When he originally talked me into the surgery he said I would feel great after a week and most people feel relief after a day or 2. He lied. Seems there are a lot of people ha ing the same problem. I feel stupid for just checking out the sites he told me. They were of course totally in support of the treatment. He got his $6k and I am taking hydrocodone and wrapped up to my groin .
May 24, 2017
Have you any relief yet ?
June 12, 2017
Hi I saw your post from 2015 on the venous procedure - are you having any relieve from your pain that you suffered then?
May 25, 2017
Hello I realize this is a few years ago, I am hoping you're still on the email. How are you feeling now? Any better? My husband is on 1 year of exactly the same and it's debilitating . Same response from
His vascular that it's unrelated to the procedure. We went to neuro's, pain management , brain and spinal surgeons all looking for relief and yet to find any thing until I came across your post. I am so sorry you have struggled. Your comments were helpful in the fact that my husband is not alone and it's not "stress" related as they claim. If you are still on this post can you comment back I would love to connect
January 15, 2023
Is it still bad? So you would definitely advise against this procedure?
UPDATED FROM myanna555
3 months post

3 months after the EVLT

myanna555
3 months later the pain is there non stop, now it seized the foot and I can only stand on the tip of my foot, the arch and heel area are all in pain that only goes away for a few hours when I take strong pain killers, and I can't step on all of my foot. The sensation of under-skin crawling stopped. There is a weird ache in the thigh, back of it. The leg feels heavy as ten tons of bricks and tired all the time. Compression hose does not help much with the foot pain, but only some. Still no visible deviations - in terms of, skin looks the same, leg looks normal (but does not feel normal). There is a weird sensation in the left top of my foot (last three toes) as if it is always kind of numb and I can't feel it very well.

Replies (3)

August 3, 2014
Thank you for sharing your story. I had EVLT after years of varicose veins which started when I was 18 (I'm now 34). I had them pulled/stripped/removed. They came back with a vengeance so again weeks before my wedding had them pulled. Then came my 3 baby's which made them worse so by this time EVLT came along. I have now had 3 EVLT treatments and due for another (September). Its great when you're over the recovery period but they're back worse then ever now! (Had them done in January) My Dr told me nothing will ever make them go away he also told me they veins run alongside a nerve and there's a risk of damage (which made me wonder if that happened to you) I now have a very sensitive top of foot and my ankle is numb. Just thought I'd share my story too. And to be honest I will keep trying treatments because my legs look horrible and I have not wore bare legs in 10 years
August 3, 2014
Thank you for sharing your story. I had EVLT after years of varicose veins which started when I was 18 (I'm now 34). I had them pulled/stripped/removed. They came back with a vengeance so again weeks before my wedding had them pulled. Then came my 3 baby's which made them worse so by this time EVLT came along. I have now had 3 EVLT treatments and due for another (September). Its great when you're over the recovery period but they're back worse then ever now! (Had them done in January) My Dr told me nothing will ever make them go away he also told me they veins run alongside a nerve and there's a risk of damage (which made me wonder if that happened to you) I now have a very sensitive top of foot and my ankle is numb. Just thought I'd share my story too. And to be honest I will keep trying treatments because my legs look horrible and I have not wore bare legs in 10 years
August 3, 2014
Oh I may add my veins are not due to being over weight, In fact I've been underweight all my life except pregnancy. My situation is hereditary
UPDATED FROM myanna555
4 months post

4 months later

myanna555
I can step on my foot now, no more acute pain, but it comes and goes sometimes, but nothing of the scary dimension it was in June. I do have strange weird sensation in the left side of my foot (top part, where the toes are), sometimes as if it is frozen, or numb. I have unpleasant pain under my knee, towards the right part/side of it, it is pulling most of the time and very achy. Leg feels tired a lot, definitely does not feel like the other (healthy) leg. I biked for a long time last weekend and only the left (the EVLA) leg was achy like crazy, ache came from within somewhere, nagging, drawing type of pain. The right leg, the healthy one, was totally fine.

Replies (1)

June 8, 2016
How are you now?