OT (laser surgery for varicose veins)

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Lynn Smith
Lynn Smith Member Posts: 1,264 Member
in Breast Cancer #1
Has anyone had laser surgery on varicose veins. My doctor mentioned it to me but with bc I don't like my body being invaded with things I know nothing about.There is also another treatment to inject saline and the vein disappears.That is something I prefer but I don't know about this laser thing.

Any help from others.Maybe if if it wasn't done on you maybe someone you know.And what do you think about something more invasive?????When a simple saline injection can be done.Now I have quite a few on the one leg so it will be a few injections.Usually though when they inject one vein the others around can diminish.

My sister can't understand why my legs are bad but they tell me hereditary.I am short and thin but I am the one in the family with the bad legs.Also the medical problems!!!!! I just don't like having something more invasive when there could be something less invasive.

Cancer just changed me sooooooooooo much.I am still in my early stages since it was 2 years and don't feel comfortable yet.May never feel comfortable.

Lynn Smith

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  • grams2jc
    grams2jc Member Posts: 756
    #2
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    Had laser on spider veins in legs
    It helped a lot, but don't have varicose yet. I need to have another treatment or 2. I found laser to be less invasive since they didn't actually inject anything into my body and I had no problems or pain. The biggest draw back were the support hose...hard to put on.

    Good luck with your decision,

    Jennifer
  • Lynn Smith
    Lynn Smith Member Posts: 1,264 Member
    #3
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    grams2jc said:

    Had laser on spider veins in legs
    It helped a lot, but don't have varicose yet. I need to have another treatment or 2. I found laser to be less invasive since they didn't actually inject anything into my body and I had no problems or pain. The biggest draw back were the support hose...hard to put on.

    Good luck with your decision,

    Jennifer

    I have spider veins
    Thank you for the input.

    I have spider veins also.But then these varicose are like knots.Maybe 6 of them.Left leg is worse.Seems the nurse said something about mesh.MMMMMM.Not sure what she meant by that.

    I had injections years ago.It worked but I didn't keep it up.I wore ace bandage then.But now this doctor said no matter what they do it is support hose. Those will kill me since I have stomach problems(a hernia) and I know how tight they are.I HOPE they have the support hose that comes up to the thigh.

    I didn't know they did the laser for spider veins.I had the saline injections and the spider veins just disappeared.Of course more treatments that way. I went in about every 2 weeks for a few months.

    It took 3 months for the insurance to OK this.Would have been longer but I had to call the doctor and say I am in severe pain.His office called my insurance company. Pretty bad when it takes so long to get approval.

    Your laser sounds different than what mine will be.They numb me, go into the top part of my leg and put lights or something mesh the nurse said.Some laser treatments could be a non invasive and some invasive.I am going to ask my doctor if what you have is the same as what I will be having. he acted like it would be blasting the veins in my legs.Would take about 1/2 hour.

    I will have quite a few questions.The solution they use for the one treatment is nothing more than saline injections. Called scheltherapy(spelling??)

    Lynn Smith
  • Noel
    Noel Member Posts: 3,095 Member
    #4
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    grams2jc said:

    Had laser on spider veins in legs
    It helped a lot, but don't have varicose yet. I need to have another treatment or 2. I found laser to be less invasive since they didn't actually inject anything into my body and I had no problems or pain. The biggest draw back were the support hose...hard to put on.

    Good luck with your decision,

    Jennifer

    A friend of mine had
    A friend of mine had lasering done on her legs for spider veins too and it really helped.


    Good luck to you,

    Noel
  • Dot53
    Dot53 Member Posts: 239 Member
    #5
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    Yes
    I have had the laser procedure done numerous times and will also have it done again in January. It is no big deal really... I had stripping and ligation of vericose veins back in 1996 which was horrible and I wouldn't recommend that but I don't think they even do that procedure anymore anyway.

    I have also had the saline injected into my big veins as well as the spider and my doctor told me that they are getting away from that treatment because the laser works better.

    Hope this helps...

    Dot
  • VickiSam
    VickiSam Member Posts: 9,079 Member
    #6
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    Dot53 said:

    Yes
    I have had the laser procedure done numerous times and will also have it done again in January. It is no big deal really... I had stripping and ligation of vericose veins back in 1996 which was horrible and I wouldn't recommend that but I don't think they even do that procedure anymore anyway.

    I have also had the saline injected into my big veins as well as the spider and my doctor told me that they are getting away from that treatment because the laser works better.

    Hope this helps...

    Dot

    Dot .. Thank you for the explanation ..
    personal information and posting ...

    I am going to talk to my mom about the possibility of having this
    done to help her!

    Strength, Courage and Hope.

    Vicki Sam
  • Dot53
    Dot53 Member Posts: 239 Member
    #7
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    VickiSam said:

    Dot .. Thank you for the explanation ..
    personal information and posting ...

    I am going to talk to my mom about the possibility of having this
    done to help her!

    Strength, Courage and Hope.

    Vicki Sam

    Vicki Sam
    Glad to help... most insurances cover this procedure..and she will have to wear a compression stocking for a couple weeks but it's not painful..

    If you need more information send me a pm...


    Best,
    Dot
  • Lynn Smith
    Lynn Smith Member Posts: 1,264 Member
    #8
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    VickiSam said:

    Dot .. Thank you for the explanation ..
    personal information and posting ...

    I am going to talk to my mom about the possibility of having this
    done to help her!

    Strength, Courage and Hope.

    Vicki Sam

    Thank You Dot
    Thank You Dot for this info. Great input.I agree about the stripping of the veins.My aunt had it done in the 90's and she was adamant I never get it done.She pretty much said she got worse.She was in her late 70's at the time.

    The laser sounds simple.Probably the easiest.I am going to start the saline injections.Something about the laser being a bit more invasive.I have large bulging purplish veins and I worry about those.They hurt.To me they look like clots but the doctor saw them.

    I did see my doctor Friday.I thought we were going over things again.Like telling me more about each treatment.Well he was ready to do the injections.I didn't have my support hose.The office said they would call in prescip but I thought after this last week's appt. I guess it was a misunderstanding on both sides. He did tell me with the bigger veins he wasn't sure if the saline would help.Anything will be better than nothing.Last week I couldn't walk without limping.

    Lynn Smith
  • Gabe N Abby Mom
    Gabe N Abby Mom Member Posts: 2,413
    #9
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    A friend of mine had the
    A friend of mine had the laser treatment and reacted badly...large open deep sores at each site. They took quite a while to heal, and she now has dark scars about the size of a fifty cent piece at each site.

    So be sure to ask questions about the risks...
  • Lynn Smith
    Lynn Smith Member Posts: 1,264 Member
    #10
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    Gabe N Abby Mom said:

    A friend of mine had the
    A friend of mine had the laser treatment and reacted badly...large open deep sores at each site. They took quite a while to heal, and she now has dark scars about the size of a fifty cent piece at each site.

    So be sure to ask questions about the risks...

    The reason I am not sure
    The reason I'm not sure as I know risks for everything and I always have them.Not one surgery or one test I haven't had a problem.Sometimes it is the doctor sometime just a fluke.It's like platic surgery.Sometime people look younger and others have serious complications.I know what the saline injections are.Nothing more than saline but the laser is a beam of light they go deeper in the vein and seems the receptionist said something about mesh.She was explaining what is done.She finally said just talk to the doctor but so far NONE of his patients have had complications.At least not yet and I don't want to be the first.

    He said there could be some serious reaction but he would take it out ASAP.I also would be numbed.I'm Used to that with needle breast biopsies.

    Lynn Smith
  • Lynn Smith
    Lynn Smith Member Posts: 1,264 Member
    #11
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    Lynn Smith said:

    Thank You Dot
    Thank You Dot for this info. Great input.I agree about the stripping of the veins.My aunt had it done in the 90's and she was adamant I never get it done.She pretty much said she got worse.She was in her late 70's at the time.

    The laser sounds simple.Probably the easiest.I am going to start the saline injections.Something about the laser being a bit more invasive.I have large bulging purplish veins and I worry about those.They hurt.To me they look like clots but the doctor saw them.

    I did see my doctor Friday.I thought we were going over things again.Like telling me more about each treatment.Well he was ready to do the injections.I didn't have my support hose.The office said they would call in prescip but I thought after this last week's appt. I guess it was a misunderstanding on both sides. He did tell me with the bigger veins he wasn't sure if the saline would help.Anything will be better than nothing.Last week I couldn't walk without limping.

    Lynn Smith

    Dot one more
    Dot one more question.I've had the saline also.Probably 8 years ago.I didn't like it since a nurse did it not a doctor.Also didn't like so many injections at once since I have alot of affected areas.So she did maybe 2 vials.Anyway did the injections help? They have to help but did they do alot for you.I am like you I have some larger veins bulging.

    Lynn Smith
  • Dot53
    Dot53 Member Posts: 239 Member
    #12
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    Lynn Smith said:

    Dot one more
    Dot one more question.I've had the saline also.Probably 8 years ago.I didn't like it since a nurse did it not a doctor.Also didn't like so many injections at once since I have alot of affected areas.So she did maybe 2 vials.Anyway did the injections help? They have to help but did they do alot for you.I am like you I have some larger veins bulging.

    Lynn Smith

    Hi Lynn
    I guess the outcome depends on the doctor so I always shopped around for the best doctor in the area. I had the saline injections for vericose veins years ago and then found the cosmetic dematologist I am currently with. He is an excellent doctor and I have had quite a few endovenous laser treatments with no problems at all. When I was getting the saline injections the doc would only do one vein at each visit. I found those treatments to be painful and also got discoloration and some knotting at the site. But, I have always been of the mind "no pain, no gain". I shudder to think what my legs would look like had I not had the treatments.

    Take care and let me know if you need more info...
    Dot

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