The little pink sore area is from superficial thrombophlebitis. This means there is inflammation in that part of the superficial vein with clot formation. You should take aspirin if you are not allergic to it. Warm compression does help. If it is happening frequently, you should consult with a surgeon to rule out an underlying systemic problem for recurrent phlebitis.

Published on Jul 11, 2012

Most patients get relief from the reflux-related symptoms. I would suggest seeing a vein specialist for reevaluation.

Published on Jul 11, 2012

Follow up with the doctor who performed the closure. You may need a different procedure if your veins continue to aggravate you.

Published on Jul 11, 2012

It is hard to say without examining you, but you may have branch veins open and are intermittently developing superficial venous thrombosis. If that's the case, then you may benefit from ultrasound chemical ablation of those vessels.

Published on Jul 11, 2012

You need to have the remaining varicose veins removed.

Published on Jul 11, 2012

In most cases, one session of endovenous vein closure can't address all reflux problems. There are many accessory branches that must also be included in a treatment plan in a step-wise fashion, until treatment is completed. VNUS Closure does not always close the targeted vein. Also, some cases see temporary closure and the treated vein can reopen. If your initial ultrasound was done while in a lying down position (not standing), that was incorrect and can not be trusted. Leaky perforators may have been missed.

Published on Jul 11, 2012

It sounds like you may have intermittent episodes of phlebitis. If your symptoms improved and then recurred, the closed vein may have reopened. Regardless, if your surgery was five years ago and you are having symptoms, you should be evaluated again by a vascular surgeon. He can perform a venous ultrasound to determine whether something can be done to improve your symptoms. Even under the best circumstances, vein problems are chronic.

Published on Jul 11, 2012

You should seek a second opinion from a vascular surgeon who will also perform an ultrasound. There are several possibilities. You most likely have chronic venous insufficiency, an inherited weakness of the valves in the veins returning blood to the heart. Your VNUS closure may have been effective but possibly other veins have failed. You may have phlebitis (inflamed veins). And your VNUS may have failed if this has been ongoing since your procedure.

Published on Jul 11, 2012

Venous closure procedures performed with laser or radiofrequency are not 100% effective and a percentage of patients will develop recurrence of disease 5-10 years after their initial procedure. It is possible that it is from a procedure failure, but you can also develop a new pattern of disease with "leaking"/reflux in a new vein. This will need to be assessed with an ultrasound of your legs to determine the reason you still have symptoms. The pink areas should also be evaluated at the time of that ultrasound.

Published on Jul 11, 2012

The fact that you saw no relief is not normal. If the venous closure procedure was the only procedure performed, then I really would not expect to see a great improvement because you only have a small portion of your vein issues treated. You need to treat the entire leg from inside out and top to bottom in order to see relief. The sore spots are inflamed veins. To make your legs better, you need to find a doc who treats the whole leg. Then relief will follow.

Published on Jul 11, 2012

Venous ablation has a success rate of over 90 percent. Repeating a venous duplex ultrasound is necessary to confirm closure of the vein.

Published on Jul 11, 2012

No relief after a venous closure is not normal. The best option will be to get a second opinion, a repeat duplex ultrasound of your lower extremity venous system, and then go from there.

Published on Jul 11, 2012

Vein closures may not be sufficient to treat your condition. You may want to consider evaluating the iliac veins. All the blood returning from the leg towards the heart pass through the iliac veins.

Published on Jul 11, 2012

No, normally patients get significant relief after closing a large refluxing vein with no other sources of leaks. Try medically graduated compression knee-high socks 20-30 mm found on Ames Walker,

Published on Jul 11, 2012

Five years is a long time for continued symptoms. You need a full venous evaluation. Your symptoms may not be due to your veins, and if they are, they can be treated. See a vein specialist.

Published on Jul 11, 2012

It is possible that the procedure wasn't successful or the vein re-opened. Have you had a repeat ultrasound to see if the vein is still open?

Published on Jul 11, 2012