What is the recovery time after treatment of varicose veins?

The answer depends on what treatment you have had, and what bandaging you have been given. For all treatments, mobility after the procedure is to be encouraged but what prevents mobility is pain and the restriction of bending the knee caused by heavy bandages or compression garments.

Stripping of varicose veins caused a lot of pain with 27% grading this as more than 8 out of 10 on a pain scale. 37.5% of patients reported pain for 15 to 28 days. Only 52.5% were back to normal mobility within 28 days.

Laser ablation (EVLT) was the first widely used method to ablate veins and this was much better. Return to work 3.6 days on average.

Radiofrequency ablation (RF) is less painful. Return to work 2.9 days on average

ClariVein does not involve injecting large volumes of local anaesthetic and does not work by burning the vein so is much less painful. Return to work 1 day on average, some go straight back to work after the procedure.

The other factor that affects return to normal activity. At the Liverpool Varicose Veins Clinic we pioneered a bandage system that allowed full knee movement so that patients can drive home after a ClariVein ablation.

Following EVLT or RF where the vein has been burnt under local anaesthetic, you are not able to drive immediately.