Patients Ask: Is Vein Treatment Painful?

Some patients are concerned that vein treatments could be painful. This is a natural concern, as many vein procedures involve injections and needles.

As Dr. Al-Misky’s patient attest, most patients feel that the treatments are close to painless, and some say that they do feel minor pain and it is easily managed.

Sclerotherapy therapy is the most common treatment at the VTC. Dr. Al-Misky uses extremely thin gauge needles- a patient may feel the prick of the needle entering the skin but it is usually felt akin to a mosquito bite (without the itchiness later). Dr. Al-Misky usually talks to the patient while she is providing treatment; this conversation is often a useful distraction from focusing on the treatment. Wrapped bandages and the use of NSAIDs can help keep patients feeling comfortable after they leave the office.

Every patient is unique in many ways, including their pain tolerance. Patients who are especially attuned to discomfort should let the Vein Treatment Center office know as there are a number of additional measures that can be taken to ensure comfort:

• We can apply a cream to numb the skin (patients need to come in 30 minutes ahead of their appointment to apply the cream)
• We can use a cryo machine to blow cold air across the treatment area to further numb the skin during treatment (it also makes it a bit more difficult to inject the veins as veins are more visible when they are warm)
• We could apply a distracting vibration at another part of the body to mask the feeling of the needle’s entry (your dentist may also use this technique)
• We can supply an iPad & headphones to provide an alternate source of diversion

For patients undergoing Endovenous Laser Ablation,  local anesthesia is used. The patient will be awake and can be listening to music on earphones or watching a movie on an iPad. The patient should feel no discomfort during the procedure. If the patient is uncomfortable, they can tell Dr Al-Misky or her nurse and they can adjust accordingly.