This summer, Patricia Campbell will confidently wear shorts for the first time in 29 years. Since she was 18, Patricia has suffered from varicose veins, but thanks to advances in varicose vein removal, she is finally free of this painful condition that burdened her for decades.
Patricia’s family has a history of being afflicted by varicose veins, as both her mother and sister developed them at an early age. Her varicose veins were not only a cosmetic problem but caused her to suffer from a number of physical complications as well. She consistently felt pain, throbbing, and swelling in her legs, as well as fatigue. Patricia’s veins were so large that she often had people commenting and asking her if they hurt.
"My legs at the end of the day just felt like bricks. I wore shorts but very reluctantly, I was very self-conscious. People would say, ‘Oh my god that has to hurt.’ The veins were bulging, and when it was hot out you could see how they throbbed in my leg.”
Patricia had tried different conservative measures, from wearing compression stockings to taking diuretics for the swelling. She had spoken with different doctors about surgical options but was weary of the forecasts they gave her.
“I wasn’t thrilled with the procedures they described at all, they were so invasive – 30 to 40 incisions and they couldn’t guarantee that they wouldn’t come back.”
Finally, Patricia found her answer. One day while reading her local newspaper, she ran across a story that featured Dr. Gregory Spitz and a revolutionary procedure called TriVex or Transilluminated Powered Phlebectomy .
TriVex is a new method of varicose vein removal that combines transillumination and tumescent anesthesia to dramatically decrease the amount of incisions made and the total operation time. “Dr. Spitz convinced me that it was a piece of cake,” Patricia recalls. “I decided to go ahead with it and it was remarkable.”
Patricia went into the hospital at 10:00am on the day of the surgery and was home by 2:00pm that same day. Patricia was astonished by how minimal the discomfort and pain were after the surgery.
“The scariest part was when I saw the bandage. It looked like a big cast and it spanned from my ankle to the top of my leg. I didn’t know what was under there. After two days I went back for an office visit to get the dressing off. I couldn’t even lay down long enough, I wanted to see what was under there.”
Once the bandages were removed, for the first time in 29 years Patricia did not see the ropy varicose veins that had once covered her entire leg.
With the help of compression stockings, ultrasound treatments, and massage therapy, Patricia was able to return to work just a week after the surgery. “I was standing all day at work. With the compression stocking it really was no problem and I did not have any discomfort. Compression stockings are typically worn for 6 weeks after the surgery.
Patricia found the ultrasound treatments very helpful in her recovery as well. "The ultrasound treatments act as a deep tissue massage, and break up the scar tissue in the leg. The treatments loosen everything, helping the skin to stay supple and the elasticity of the skin comes back.” Patricia also routinely did massage therapy at home, which she learned at Dr. Spitz’s office.
Patricia was so happy with the results of her first leg, she underwent the TriVex procedure on her other leg just a little over a month later. Patricia asserts that she would recommend this procedure to anyone considering having their varicose veins removed. While not suffering from any pain or discomfort, Patricia did experience some swelling and bruising. Swelling and bruising are expected post operatively and patients are educated about this prior to the procedure.
“It was perfectly normal that I was having this bruising and swelling, but I would have liked to have known more about what to expect beforehand.”
Patricia is happy that she waited for a procedure that she liked and even happier to be rid of her painful varicose veins. With a strong laugh, Patricia proclaimed one last time, “Now that I don’t have any more varicose veins, it is just so much fun!”
Pre-Operative | 
2 Days Post-Operative | 
6 Weeks Post-Operative |
