That is possible. Regardless, you should not have that kind of pain 3 months later. You need to have a repeat ultrasound and possibly get another opinion.

Published on Jul 11, 2012

Sounds like you have some sensory nerve injury from the ELA, which is a known side effect and may take up to 6 months to improve.

Published on Jul 11, 2012

Is the current discomfort new, or is it residual discomfort from the original phlebitis? In any case, the fact that it recently worsened suggests that you spontaneously closed one of the tributary vessels and have a superficial thrombophlebitis. This is easily diagnosed by either visual inspection (if superficial) or ultrasound (if deeper). If caught early, the blood can be aspirated and relief is usually immediate. However, in most cases, there are other vessels in the area that need to be closed with ultrasound guided sclerotherapy or else symptoms may return. In the short term, warm compresses, NSAIDS (orally and/or topically), and Arnica cream may help.

The numbness you describe is likely from irritation of the nerve by the laser. Thankfully, it's typically not permanent and resolves in 6 months to a year.

Published on Jul 11, 2012

If you only had an ELA procedure performed on your leg, the reason you do not seem to be feeling much better is because your doc only treated a small portion of you vein issues. You need to remember that vein disease is generally regarded as an inherited disorder. For this reason, the likelihood of you having just one vein as being the root of all of your problems is very low. Vein disease can affect anything from head to toe. Therefore, when a person presents for treatment, they may have 50 yards of abnormal veins in each leg; that is out of 50 miles of vein structure. Fixing a couple of feet will not fix the problem. It also does not even begin to address the impact that all of these abnormal veins have on your venous circulation. This is why your legs probably ache. That said, you do no appear to have new phlebitis, you just have the same issues you had before your treatment because your vein issues were never fully addressed. The numbness is either due to your remaining vein issues being inflamed and causing a local irritation of your nerves, resulting in numbness. Or, your doc injured your saphenous nerve when he treated you. If you want to get better, go find a vein doc who treats the entire leg and not just one or two veins. Only then will your venous circulation improve and your legs start feeling normal again.
Dr. Sheen
The Sheen Vein Inst.

Published on Jul 11, 2012

You need a venous ultrasound to determine the status of your venous system. Is your leg red, swollen or just painful? Did you have calf pain with walking prior to these procedures? If so, perhaps it is claudication and you need an arterial ultrasound as well to evaluate the blood flow to your leg.

Published on Jul 11, 2012

It is very unusual to have pain of your description for this length of time. Phlebitis may be from veins not removed at the time of procedure. I typically remove these at the same time as EVLA, which not only avoids phlebitis, but ensures a nice cosmetic result. Numbness is usually from inadequate local anesthesia, which also protects surrounding tissue and nerves. I recommend massage to the area with some gentle pressure. It may desensitize the nerves and soften any scar tissue in the area. A course of ibuprofen 3 x day (with food) may also reduce any localized
inflammation.

Published on Jul 11, 2012

Three months is a long time to have pain post-EVLT. It is very likely you still have residual clotted great saphenous vein below the knee and since the vein is close to the skin at this point, with activity, the soreness increases. Wet and warm compresses to the area and ibuprofen will help. Also, if you do have palpable clotted veins in this area, they can be drained under local anesthesia, which will alleviate your discomfort.

Published on Jul 11, 2012

It sounds like the laser may have irritated your saphenous nerve and may be causing problems. As well, you may have insufficiency below the incision site due to the aching with standing or walking. I would go back and have a new ultrasound and discuss your concerns with your doctor

Published on Jul 11, 2012