There are no known risks to the pregnancy from a radiofrequency ablation of the veins in the legs. There is also no evidence to suggest that women will have problems with infertility after this procedure.

In terms of how long you should wait to get pregnant, I would wait at least one month to give the veins time to heal before you add a new stress to your body with the pregnancy.

You should also be aware that pregnancy can cause new varicose veins to form, and this may be frustrating to you if you have just gone through a treatment to get rid of them and then they pop up again during/after the pregnancy. It may be worth waiting until the pregnancy is over and then addressing all of the veins (the ones you have now and any new ones that form from the pressure of the pregnancy) at that point.

On the flip side, as the veins may get worse in pregnancy, you may want to treat them now, even knowing that you may require additional treatments in the future, so that you do not suffer too much from your veins during your pregnancy. Untreated varicose veins in pregnancy can be extremely painful and addressing them in advance may save you a considerable amount of discomfort/pain while you are pregnant.

In summary, there is no definite answer as to whether it's better for you to undergo treatment before or after pregnancy, but there is nothing to suggest that it would be dangerous to any future pregnancy for you to undergo radiofrequency ablation prior to conceiving.

Good luck,
S. Yedida Goldman, MD
Vein Institute of Blue Bell (vibb.org)

Published on Jul 11, 2012

Radiofrequency of the veins in your leg should not affect fertility. However, your veins will get worse with pregnancy due to the hormones and increased blood volume. I would consider waiting a few weeks after the procedure before getting pregnant. Pregnancy hormones can increase the risk of a blood clot. Immediately following the procedure, you're at an increased risk of a blood clot. Best to wait a few weeks, if possible.

Published on Jul 11, 2012

Yes, it is safe and it will not affect fertility. There are no gestational risks. A month or two after the procedure should be reasonable.

Published on Jul 11, 2012

Which type of ablation a surgeon offers depends upon his/her preference. I use laser ablation successfully. As long as the surgeon is vascular-trained and experienced, either treatment should be successful. There is no reason you should delay having this procedure, and it may make you more comfortable during pregnancy, which is a time when the condition will become worse due to maternal hormones dilating veins. This will not affect fertility or gestational risks during pregnancy. Both treatments are very localized and under local anesthesia. You may have a short time (few weeks) of discomfort post-procedure, after which time you can proceed with trying to get pregnant.

Published on Jul 11, 2012