EVLT or endovenous laser treatment is the most common treatment for varicose veins. The success rate of this procedure is extremely high, and thus, most modern-day physicians prefer using EVLT on patients diagnosed with varicose veins. However, if you want to recover completely after this laser therapy, you must ensure that the process is followed by diligent aftercare. The section below will educate you about the right way of taking care of patients who have just undergone EVLT.
How to Deal with the Discomfort Associated with EVLT?
The best thing about EVLT is that it doesn’t cause serious pain. However, you might experience slight discomfort after the numbing medicine’s effects wear off. This usually happens within two hours. Taking a few doses of OTC ibuprofen should be enough to deal with such discomforts. Make sure you take the medicine with your meal. If you need to take the medicine at bedtime, do have some food with it. Never take ibuprofen at bedtime if you take any blood thinners at night.
Most patients don’t feel any kind of discomfort all through the day. However, if they avoid taking ibuprofen throughout the day, they might experience serious soreness when sleeping.
How to Manage the Steri-Strips?
Your doctor will advise you to keep the steri-strips covering your wounds intact for a couple of weeks. The wrap beneath the stocking, on the other hand, should remain intact for 24 to 36 hours. If you feel that the wrap is sliding or if there’s swelling in your feet and they feel numb, you should pull down the stocking and unwrap the wrap. However, make sure that the steri-strips are in place. Throw away the wrap and pull up the stocking. The stocking should keep your legs covered for three days. You should wear it even when sleeping. Never allow it to get wet even when taking a shower.
How to Keep the Stocking Dry?
Fold your bath towel along its length two to three times. Wrap the area above your thigh using the folded towel and duct tape its two ends to each other. Now, place your leg inside a big trash bag and tuck the bag’s top between your leg and the towel. This will allow the towel to absorb any water leaking through the bag’s top.
There’s no need of wearing the stocking all through the day after 72 hours of the surgery. This means, once 72 hours pass, you will be free to take a shower without the stockings.
At this point, you can allow the steri-strips to get slightly wet when taking a shower. However, you will still not be able to swim, soak yourself into a bathtub, lift objects weighing more than 30 lbs., or travel by air. You will have to abide by these restrictions for a couple of weeks.
You should also try to avoid traveling by car during this period. However, if you need to do that make sure you get out and walk for around 5 to 10 minutes after every 1 hour of traveling.
Final Words
If you sought EVLT help for varicose veins, you must make sure that you take proper care of your feet after the procedure is over. This will allow you to enjoy the maximum benefits of the process.
