Veincentre Out of Hours Support

Any shortness of breath after treatment, however mild needs urgent same-day assessment in A&E.

If the swelling is localised to the treatment area, it is common, indeed entirely normal to have swelling localised to the veins that have been treated. If you have no other symptoms then this is nothing to be concerned about. This will settle down in time so please don’t worry.

If the swelling is more generalised over the whole calf or the whole leg, that is rather unusual after our treatments and could indicate a DVT especially if also accompanied by generalised hot feeling of the leg and tenderness of your calf. In this instance we would encourage you to contact NHS 111 or attend your local A&E.

If the pain is localised to the treated area, it is common, indeed entirely normal, to have aches and pains over the veins that have been treated. If you have no other symptoms then this is nothing to be concerned about. You may find that Ibuprofen helps relieve this and sometimes putting your stocking back on also helps. This will settle with time so please don’t worry.

If the pain is generalised over the whole calf or whole leg, this is rather unusual after our treatments and could indicate a DVT especially if also accompanied by generalised hot feeling of the leg and tenderness of your calf. If this is the case, we would encourage you to contact NHS 111 or attend your local A&E department.

If the hot feeling is localised to the area treated, it is common, indeed entirely normal, to have a hot feeling over the veins that have been treated. If you have no other symptoms then this is nothing to be concerned about. You may find that Ibuprofen helps relieve this and sometimes putting your stocking back on also helps. This will settle with time, so please don’t worry.

If the hot feeling is generalised over the whole lower leg from knee down, this is rather unusual after our treatments and could indicate a DVT especially if also accompanied by generalised swelling of the leg and tenderness of your calf. Please contact NHS111 or attend your local A&E department.

If the tenderness is localised to the area on your leg that has been treated, it is common, indeed entirely normal, to have tender patches over the veins that have been treated. If you have no other symptoms then this is nothing to be concerned about. You may find that Ibuprofen helps relieve the tenderness and sometimes putting your stocking back on also helps. This will settle with time, so please don’t worry.

If the tenderness is generalised to the whole leg, this is very unlikely anything to do with your treatment. Please contact NHS111 or visit your local A&E department.

Redness of the skin is common over veins that have been injected. It indicates inflammation (not infection) which is almost inevitable after vein treatment. This is usually only over small areas. This will settle down with time and no active treatment although Ibuprofen will help settle inflammation and is especially useful to relieve and associated pain.

If the redness of the skin is extensive covering 10% or more of the skin of your leg, it increases the chance that this is an infection. This is very rare after EVLA and foam sclerotherapy. Mark the edges of the redness with a biro or felt tip pen. Take some photos and email them to us.

If the redness increases in area especially if rapidly then either call us when we are next available or visit your local A&E department. This is especially important if you have other signs of infection such as feeling unwell generally, having a fever or vomiting.

After varicose vein treatment it is normal to feel hard or semi hard lumps under the skin especially where the varicose veins were. These lumps indicate treated veins that still have some blood clot within them. They will settle down naturally over time and without treatment but can take up to 3 months or so to completely disappear.

If you have lumps in other places on your body apart from the leg or legs we have treated make an appointment to see your GP.

If you have experienced bleeding from the site of the treated vein and the bleeding has stopped, please keep a dressing over where the blood was coming from with tape to provide some pressure. If frank red profuse bleeding returns despite the dressing please attend your local A&E department.

If the bleeding is persistent we would encourage you to lie down and lift your leg in the air. Apply pressure with an absorbent cloth of some sort. If bleeding does not stop attend your local A&E department or call 999 if simply cannot get there unaided.

If the numbness is localised to a small part of your leg, it is common to have some localised numbness after treatment for varicose veins. No urgent treatment is required and it will normally fully recover but can take many weeks.

If there is a sudden onset of numbness to one side of your face, one arm or one leg, especially if a large area is affected is unlikely due to your treatment but should be investigated urgently. Please attend your local A&E department or call 999 if simply cannot get there unaided.

Any problem with a stocking is not an emergency and should be able to wait until normal working hours when we can discuss the problem on the phone.

In the meantime, if your stocking keeps falling down try a suspender belt or putting a pair of tights/sports skins over the top.

If you have soreness of the skin at the top of the stocking try turning the stocking top down or placing gauze dressing in between elastic and the skin.