Varicose Veins can appear for the first time in pregnancy and may become so painful that pregnant mothers seek varicose vein treatment. So can varicose veins be treated safely during pregnancy?
In general, varicose veins should not be treated during pregnancy and there are 4 main reasons.
-1) Increased risk of DVT and PE. Pregnancy is a period in which there is an increased risk of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism. Compared women who are not pregnant, the risk of venous thromboembolism is 4- to 5- fold. Although varicose vein treatment is safe and DVT as a complication of treatment is very rare for women who are not pregnant, treating varicose veins during pregnancy exposes the mother to the increased risk of this complication. The reason for this is that the blood is hypercoagulable (or sticky) during pregnancy.
-2) The varicose vein regress and may disappear once the baby is born. The varicose veins are then easier to treat. Less extensive treatment for the varicose veins is required after the pregnancy is over.
-3) Treatment of varicose veins during pregnancy may cause the appearance of new broken vein or spider veins (known medically as telangiectasia) as a complication. These new spider veins may be very extensive and unsightly and may spoil the cosmetic appearance of the leg. Neovascularisation or vascular neogenesis is more pronounced during pregnancy.
-4) Treatment during pregnancy poses a risk to the developing baby. Although local anaesthetics (local anesthesia) are thought to be safe, it is a general principle that the foetus (fetus) should not be exposed to prescription medicines. Most mothers would not wish run this risk to the baby unless treatment was potentially life saving.
Contact me today for a confidential chat
If you’re worried about your veins and would like a confidential chat please do get in touch. I am happy to offer simple advice by telephone or email for free and without obligation.
The VeinCare Centre also offers a screening assessment with our vascular technologist. For £25 you can have a scan with Wendy Parsons. She is not a doctor and so she could not give you medical advice but she can check your deep veins and your varicose veins and give you an idea of how bad they are and what treatment options might be available. If you would like to have an appointment with Wendy please call 0800 698 3467.