What To Know About An Ambulatory Phlebectomy

If Dr Heeringa just told you that he recommends that you undergo an ambulatory phlebectomy, you may be wondering what on earth that even means. Although it sounds like some sort of open heart surgery, you can rest easy just knowing that it’s a procedure that’s used to help treat varicose veins. But that’s just the basics, how is it performed and what is recovery like? Let’s delve a little deeper.

How Is An Ambulatory Phlebectomy Performed?

Typically we will perform an ambulatory phlebectomy in our office using local anesthesia. To start out, we will flood the area surrounding your varicose vein clusters with an anesthetic fluid. Then, a needle is used to make a small puncture next to the varicose vein and a small hook is inserted into the needle. From there, we will be able to grasp the vein and remove it. After the vein has been removed, we will cover it with a bandage and a compression stocking.

What Is Recovery Like?

One of the biggest concerns that patients have about getting an ambulatory phlebectomy is that it will cause scarring. More often than not, the punctures are so small that it leaves nearly imperceptible scars. During recovery, we encourage our patients to keep the area clean and to keep it bandaged for a full 24 hours. After that, make sure that you wear your compression sock for a full two weeks. Most patients are able to go back to work the next day and will only have to take over-the-counter pain medication like Ibuprofen or Tylenol.

Finding out that Dr. Heeringa recommends an ambulatory Phlebectomy isn’t something to be scared about. Are you ready to learn more about this procedure? If so, schedule an appointment at our Traverse City or Cadillac office and call us at (231) 936-2068.