Will wearing compression stockings before vein surgery improve my outcome?

Medicare says the success rate of wearing hose three months before surgery is 2 percent for corrective surgery. If you don't wear them before surgery what is the success rate for the surgery?

Answers from doctors (10)


Vein Specialties of St. Louis

Published on Sep 04, 2018

Compression therapy prior to treatment is a pre-requisite for all insurance companies. It is to determine if the compression alleviates your symptoms. Time varies from 6 weeks (reasonable) to 6 months (not reasonable). Wearing compression has no bearing on the results of the procedures; the experience of the board-certified vascular surgeon is much more important.

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Answered by Vein Specialties of St. Louis

Compression therapy prior to treatment is a pre-requisite for all insurance companies. It is to determine if the compression alleviates your symptoms. Time varies from 6 weeks (reasonable) to 6 months (not reasonable). Wearing compression has no bearing on the results of the procedures; the experience of the board-certified vascular surgeon is much more important.

Published on Jul 11, 2012


Susan B Fox, D.O. RPVI, FSVM

Published on Sep 04, 2018

I don’t think it matters how long you wear compression stockings before surgery. They want to see if your wearing them improves your symptoms, so you don’t need to pay for EVLA. Wearing them after surgery definitely helps with success and outcome months later.

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Answered by Susan B Fox, D.O. RPVI, FSVM

I don’t think it matters how long you wear compression stockings before surgery. They want to see if your wearing them improves your symptoms, so you don’t need to pay for EVLA. Wearing them after surgery definitely helps with success and outcome months later.

Published on Jul 11, 2012


Intermountain Vein Center

Published on Aug 28, 2012

Wearing compression stockings before the procedures does nothing but alleviate the symptoms. Some insurance companies ask you to wear them as a delay tactic to be sure it won't be a cosmetic treatment. The vein treatments will be successful no matter what. You will have to wear thigh high compression hose 30-40 after the procedures to ensure the success of those treatments.

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Answered by Intermountain Vein Center

Wearing compression stockings before the procedures does nothing but alleviate the symptoms. Some insurance companies ask you to wear them as a delay tactic to be sure it won't be a cosmetic treatment. The vein treatments will be successful no matter what. You will have to wear thigh high compression hose 30-40 after the procedures to ensure the success of those treatments.

Published on Jul 11, 2012


Advanced Vein Center

Published on Aug 24, 2012

I have not heard of that statement and it probably references stripping which is no longer the treatment of choice. Therefore, there is no scientific answer to your question and I would not worry about it.

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Answered by Advanced Vein Center

I have not heard of that statement and it probably references stripping which is no longer the treatment of choice. Therefore, there is no scientific answer to your question and I would not worry about it.

Published on Jul 11, 2012


Arizona Vein Specialists

Published on Aug 23, 2012

Wearing stockings prior to corrective procedure is protective and has no real effect on the success rate, unless we're talking about a year delay.

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Answered by Arizona Vein Specialists

Wearing stockings prior to corrective procedure is protective and has no real effect on the success rate, unless we're talking about a year delay.

Published on Jul 11, 2012


The Vein Clinic

Published on Aug 22, 2012

Support hose are very helpful for the pain. swelling and other complications of varicose vein disease.Wearing them before varicose vein surgery or other intervention would not directly impact the outcome of the procedure.

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Answered by The Vein Clinic

Support hose are very helpful for the pain. swelling and other complications of varicose vein disease.Wearing them before varicose vein surgery or other intervention would not directly impact the outcome of the procedure.

Published on Jul 11, 2012


Vein Clinic of North Carolina

Published on Aug 22, 2012

Medicare and most insurances require a three month period of trying
conservative treatment, which does include trying the compression
stockings. It does not affect the success of surgery either way. However,
compression stockings can help with swelling and pain prior to
treatment. The compression stockings are very effective during vein
treatment to help with healing, decrease rare risk of complications and
bruising.

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Answered by Vein Clinic of North Carolina

Medicare and most insurances require a three month period of trying
conservative treatment, which does include trying the compression
stockings. It does not affect the success of surgery either way. However,
compression stockings can help with swelling and pain prior to
treatment. The compression stockings are very effective during vein
treatment to help with healing, decrease rare risk of complications and
bruising.

Published on Jul 11, 2012


VeinSolutions - Edina

Published on Aug 22, 2012

The quick answer to your question is no. Wearing compression hose, no matter how long prior to surgery, is not going to change the outcome of corrective surgical vein procedures. While wearing compression may help incompetent venous valves function more efficiently, they are not going to change anything inside you physiologically so as to effect the outcome of the surgical intervention. It is unclear to me exactly what you were told by a Medicare representative. But the wearing of compression hose, prior to surgery, will not contribute in any positive way to the post-operative outcome.

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Answered by VeinSolutions - Edina

The quick answer to your question is no. Wearing compression hose, no matter how long prior to surgery, is not going to change the outcome of corrective surgical vein procedures. While wearing compression may help incompetent venous valves function more efficiently, they are not going to change anything inside you physiologically so as to effect the outcome of the surgical intervention. It is unclear to me exactly what you were told by a Medicare representative. But the wearing of compression hose, prior to surgery, will not contribute in any positive way to the post-operative outcome.

Published on Jul 11, 2012


Vein Specialists

Published on Aug 22, 2012

I am not sure I understand the statement in this question. Medicare has a
rule that in order for a patient to be considered covered for corrective
vein procedures (endovenous closure and/or microphlebectomy) a 3 - 6 month
trial of conservative therapy including ambulation, elevation, compression
hose therapy and analgesics, must be completed. In general, the response to
hose therapy should be predictive of a patient's response to endovenous
ablation( those who have relief of symptoms with hose will also have similar
relief from closure). So, the hose do not actually affect you success rate
of the actual closure procedure, they just predict your response to the
procedure. Hose therapy is not a definitive therapy or curative therapy for
venous insufficiency although a small percentage of patients will opt for
continued compression hose therapy due to minimal symptoms, advanced age or
weight or a variety of other reasons.

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Answered by Vein Specialists

I am not sure I understand the statement in this question. Medicare has a
rule that in order for a patient to be considered covered for corrective
vein procedures (endovenous closure and/or microphlebectomy) a 3 - 6 month
trial of conservative therapy including ambulation, elevation, compression
hose therapy and analgesics, must be completed. In general, the response to
hose therapy should be predictive of a patient's response to endovenous
ablation( those who have relief of symptoms with hose will also have similar
relief from closure). So, the hose do not actually affect you success rate
of the actual closure procedure, they just predict your response to the
procedure. Hose therapy is not a definitive therapy or curative therapy for
venous insufficiency although a small percentage of patients will opt for
continued compression hose therapy due to minimal symptoms, advanced age or
weight or a variety of other reasons.

Published on Jul 11, 2012


Vanish Vein and Laser Center

Published on Aug 22, 2012

It has been my experience in doing vein closure over 12 years that the wearing of compression hose before the closure procedure does NOT alter the success of the procedure. Compression hose reduces the venous pressure and MAY give symptomatic relief of cramping, aching or heaviness but they do nothing to decrease the veins. There are no studies to show that wearing compression stockings pre op improve the operative results or that people that improve with stockings will improve with closure and vice versa. For reflux, the gold standard of treatment is valve closure not support stockings. Closure procedures have a 98 + success rate.

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Answered by Vanish Vein and Laser Center

It has been my experience in doing vein closure over 12 years that the wearing of compression hose before the closure procedure does NOT alter the success of the procedure. Compression hose reduces the venous pressure and MAY give symptomatic relief of cramping, aching or heaviness but they do nothing to decrease the veins. There are no studies to show that wearing compression stockings pre op improve the operative results or that people that improve with stockings will improve with closure and vice versa. For reflux, the gold standard of treatment is valve closure not support stockings. Closure procedures have a 98 + success rate.

Published on Jul 11, 2012


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