Is Laser Treatment For Varicose Veins Painful?

Receiving treatment for varicose veins is important for good health, but can also be an issue of looking and feeling the way you want. With that in mind, one of the options many people choose is laser vein treatment. If this is the option you select for your Cincinnati vein treatment, you’ll want to get all your questions answered before you schedule the procedure. That means having a conversation with your doctor, so you’re clear on everything you need to know. Among the top questions asked is whether laser treatment is painful. Here’s what you need to know.

Laser Vein Treatment is Minimally Invasive

Unlike past ways of treating varicose veins, such as ligation and stripping, vein treatment that uses lasers doesn’t require general anesthesia. For very small veins a laser is used on top of the skin. Larger veins require a laser fiber to be inserted into the vein. Usually, local anesthesia and a mild sedative are combined for this procedure. With the anesthesia, you should not expect to experience pain from the treatment.

There may be some discomfort, but laser vein treatment is far less painful than other options that could be used or that have been used in the past. This kind of procedure is also effective approximately 94 percent of the time, so there is a very good chance that your veins will not need to be treated again with another type of procedure to remove the varicose vein completely.

You May Have Some Vein Bruising

One of the side effects of this treatment is vein bruising, which you may notice in the hours and days after treatment. This is typically not a serious issue and will go away on its own. Your skin may appear discolored in the area around the treatment site, and there is also the possibility for skin burns in that location. Typically these are not severe and do not cause a lot of pain. They could be uncomfortable for a little while until they heal. Looking at Before & After pictures can help you understand what the treated area will look like as it’s healing and after it has completely healed from the procedure.

Working With Your Doctor is the Right Choice

You should always work closely with your doctor when having any medical procedure, and laser vein treatment is no exception. Most patients have some questions, and your doctor will have answers about the procedure and the healing time. If you have a laser treatment that is on the skin only you will generally be able to go back to your normal activities right away. An endovenous laser treatment, which uses the laser fiber inserted into the vein, will require the use of compression stockings for a week in most cases. Your doctor can give you further information, and you should always follow their instructions for the best outcome.