The joys of getting old. On the 3rd of December, I had surgery to strip varicose veins from my left leg. The experience was much less painful than I expected and a walk in the park compared to my last major surgery – a double bypass in 2017, which I wrote about here.
Over the last few years, the veins had been getting worse and one section on the inside of my upper leg looked like a coil of half-inch rope. There was also a bulge the size of a golf ball on the inside of my knee and several smaller bulges in my lower leg. Varicose veins are hereditary; my father had surgery on both legs in his early fifties. I am fortunate to have escaped surgery till my 70s.
Did my years of running contribute to the condition? The surgeon – a very capable and competent South African – thought it unlikely. She recommended surgery as varicose veins left untreated can cause circulation problems, ulcers that do not heal easily, and even a thrombosis.
The procedure is done under general anaesthesia. An incision is made in the groin, another lower down the leg where the vein is tied. A plastic rod like a mini-augur is inserted from the top, the bottom end of the cut vein is attached to the end of the rod and the vein is then pulled up and out from the top. The procedure is repeated in stages for all the affected veins down the leg. In total, I had 11 incisions.
From distant memories of my father’s experience 65 years ago and reports from others, I expected the recovery to be somewhat painful and definitely uncomfortable. I was pleasantly surprised. After recovering from the anaesthetic, I was sent home with my leg bandaged from groin to ankle. I was told that for three days, I must keep the leg elevated. No walking or standing except for visits to the toilet and no bathing or showering.
Three days later, it was with great relief that I removed the bandages and all the dressing and had a shower. For the next few days, I kept the leg bandaged and elevated when sitting. I drove both my car when necessary, and my tractor to clear snow.
The recovery was not painful; I did not need to take any painkillers, it was less painful than the incisions to remove two skin cancer lesions from the same leg six weeks earlier.
After ten days, I resumed my morning walks and daily routine of situps, press-ups and other exercises. Now two weeks later, the bruising all down the inside of my thigh has gone. There are still slight swellings and at times, a tight feeling in my thigh. The incisions have all healed well and the surface sutures have dissolved. This week, the surgeon was happy with my recovery but warned me not to overdo things for a little longer.
Next year, I will have the other leg done.
I spoke about it in the most recent episode of our podcast and YouTube channel Health Declassifed.
Snow
We have had an above-average amount of snow this December, with about 10 inches in three days. Despite the surgeon’s warning to take it easy, I had to spend a few hours in the tractor clearing our and a neighbour’s drive.
Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a happy, peaceful, and safe New Year.
