McKeown Medical
167 Bath Street, Glasgow, G2 4SQ
Date posted — 8.04.25
Varicose veins can be uncomfortable, unsightly, and even painful, prompting many people to seek treatment. However, one of the primary concerns for patients considering varicose vein treatment is the recovery process. What can they expect? How long does it take to return to daily activities? Understanding the recovery journey is essential for making an informed decision.
At McKeown Medical, we provide expert care throughout the entire treatment and recovery process. Whether you undergo a surgical or minimally invasive procedure, our team ensures you receive the best possible aftercare. In this guide, we’ll explore what to expect after varicose vein treatment, highlighting recovery timelines and essential aftercare measures to support healing.
For patients undergoing traditional varicose vein surgery, such as ligation and stripping, the recovery process tends to be longer compared to minimally invasive techniques, with most patients needing a couple of weeks off work. The great news, however, is that only around 1% of patients with varicose veins still require this type of invasive surgery. The vast majority of patients can be treated with a less invasive option, with most patients being able to get back to normal the same day or shortly after.
Recovering from a Minimally Invasive Vein Procedure
Minimally invasive varicose vein treatments, such as radiofrequency ablation (RFA) or foam sclerotherapy, offer a much quicker recovery, with most patients being back to normal activities within a couple of days. There is usually a little bit of soreness to the leg, although this is helped by wearing compression stockings for the first week or so.
Many people resume work within 1–2 days, especially for office-based roles. Light activity is encouraged immediately, but strenuous activities should be avoided for 1–2 weeks. Similar to surgical recovery, driving should be avoided until patients can comfortably move their legs. Long-haul flights should also be postponed for at least a week.
Recovering from a Venaseal procedure
We are very proud to be one of the first centres in Scotland to introduce the revolutionary Venaseal procedure. Venaseal is an even less invasive option and uses a special type of medical adhesive to seal the problematic veins shut. It causes less discomfort than RFA, and patients can get back to normal activities almost immediately without having to wear compression stockings. This is now our most popular type of varicose vein treatment in our clinic due to the minimal impact it has on our patients’ busy lives.
The best treatment for you will depend on a combination of factors, including your own anatomy, medical history and personal preferences. The first step is to undergo a thorough assessment and consultation by a consultant vascular surgeon. As part of this assessment, a detailed ultrasound scan will be performed to study the anatomy of your veins and look at blood flow within the leg. When we understand the anatomy and your medical history, the consultant surgeon can then discuss the most appropriate range of options for your condition before you decide on which one to proceed with.
While modern varicose vein treatments are highly effective, it’s crucial to be aware of potential risks and symptoms that may require medical attention. Patients may experience:
Knowing what to expect and when to seek further medical care ensures a smoother recovery experience.
At McKeown Medical, we specialize in VenaSeal, a cutting-edge treatment that offers an even shorter recovery period. Unlike thermal-based procedures, VenaSeal™ requires no compression stockings post-treatment and allows for an almost immediate return to daily life. Learn more about this treatment here.
Recovery from varicose vein treatment varies depending on the procedure performed, but with the right aftercare, most patients return to their normal routines quickly. At McKeown Medical, we prioritize expert-guided aftercare, ensuring each patient feels supported throughout their recovery.
If you’re considering varicose vein treatment and want to learn more about the recovery process, you can begin your journey by booking a consultation with our team today. We’re here to provide expert advice and high-quality care every step of the way.
Dr Alex Vesey discusses whether varicose veins can come back after treatment.
When it comes to treating varicose veins, VenaSeal™ has emerged as a revolutionary option that offers a minimally invasive and...
Varicose veins are enlarged, twisted veins that often appear just under the skin, primarily in the legs and feet.
1 / 3
2 / 3
3 / 3
Dr Alex Vesey discusses whether varicose veins can come back after treatment.
When it comes to treating varicose veins, VenaSeal™ has emerged as a revolutionary option that offers a minimally invasive and...
Varicose veins are enlarged, twisted veins that often appear just under the skin, primarily in the legs and feet.
Thank you to Dr Alex and all of the team! From my ultrasound scan to my treatment, I felt completely looked after and at ease all the way through. The procedure was easy and I was able to walk home! Thanks to everyone.
Gary - A McKeown Medical patientOctober 2024
And this is why combination treatments always win!
This lovely patient is in her 50s and was noticing all of the classic signs of ageing. She was starting to see some jowls forming, the neck was becoming more saggy and she felt she was looking tired.
At this stage in the ageing process it is not one thing that is responsible for causing the tired expression, its a combination of changes that are working together which is why we need a combination of treatments to target it effectively.
We did some sofwave treatment first to tighten the skin on the face and neck. Sofwave is very effective at tightening the skin, but remember: the skin is only the outer layer of the face, so we supported the treatment with some volume replacement in the deeper layers.
I decided to post her selfie style before and afters as well as her clinical pictures so you can see how it looks in real life, as well as the clinical up-close detail. The patient is over the moon with her results.
What do you think?
Here is another beautifully balanced deep plane face and neck lift by the skilful @bramhallplasticsurgery.
The deep plane technique, as the name suggests, works at a deeper level, repositioning the underlying structures of the face and neck rather than simply tightening the skin. By addressing the deeper tissues, we can restore more natural proportions, refine the jawline, and create a smoother, more defined contour beneath the chin - especially when the patient moves or bends their neck forward.
To achieve this impressive improvement in the neck, even in flexion, Russell reduced the deep fat (from under the muscle), trimmed and shaped the salivary glands and reconstructed the muscles of the neck to create a rejuvenated result. This is a much more sophisticated procedure compared with a standard face and neck lift.
At just 2 months post-op, her result is already beautifully balanced. The jawline is sharper, the neck more sculpted, and everything sits in harmony with the rest of her features. Scars are settling well and will continue to soften over time.
She may choose to refine things further with laser resurfacing for skin quality and subtle volume restoration in the mid-face, but even at this stage, the transformation speaks for itself.
Thank you to our patient for allowing us to share her journey.
What do you think?
Thank you to this lovely patient for allowing us to share her beautiful result from the talented @bramhallplasticsurgery.
This patient is just 2.5 months after upper eyelid surgery, and already looking incredibly fresh and natural. The scars are settling very well and will continue to soften over the coming months.
The incisions are carefully placed within the natural eyelid crease, making them very difficult to see once healed. Excess skin has been removed to open up the eye area, while maintaining a soft, natural appearance.
A small amount of muscle was reduced at the outer part of the eyelid to address hooding, without affecting the central area. This helps preserve a youthful fullness above the eye. There has also been a conservative reduction of the lateral brow fat to further refine the contour. This highly tailored, bespoke approach to surgery is the attention to detail that lies at the heart of our clinic’s approach and philosophy.
As with many patients, her anatomy meant these changes developed earlier than expected. In the right cases, surgery at a younger age can deliver a subtle but very impactful improvement.
What do you think?
Happy Easter from our excited little bunnies 🐣🐰
Thank you to our lovely patient for allowing us to share these photos.
This is just 4 weeks after her first session (of three) with Juläine and we’re already starting to see a soft return of fullness and improvement in skin quality.
Juläine is not a traditional filler. It works by stimulating your body’s own collagen production, gradually restoring structure, firmness and elasticity from within.
This is just the beginning. As collagen continues to rebuild over the coming weeks and months, results will become more noticeable with improved support, smoother contours and a natural, refreshed appearance.
The patient is delighted with her progress so far. What do you think?
And this is why HA fillers have never gone out of fashion in our practice!
This lovely patient had all the classic signs of volume loss in her face and there is no other non-surgical treatment that can address this quite as quickly, effectively and non-invasively as HA filler. Of course, it needs to be carefully and sensitively applied.
This patient had a total of 10mls of HA as well as some wrinkle relaxing on the upper face. She is delighted with her restoration. What do you think?
Upper eyelid surgery isn’t just for ageing eyes! Some patients naturally have excess upper eyelid skin from a young age due to their anatomy, like this 29-year-old patient who had a congenital upper eyelid fold and recently underwent an upper blepharoplasty with the ever-talented @bramhallplasticsurgery.
The excess eyelid skin rested directly on her eyelashes, causing irritation and a persistent feeling of heaviness around the eyes which had been bothering her for several years. Upper eyelid surgery can address both functional symptoms and aesthetic concerns, helping patients achieve a lighter, more open eye appearance.
This patient is just 7 weeks after surgery. At this early stage of healing the scars are still maturing and in younger patients this process can take slightly longer. The incision is placed within the natural eyelid crease and as healing progresses the scar typically fades and becomes extremely difficult to see, often blending into the natural eyelid fold.
She`s delighted with the results so far, and we`re grateful to her for allowing us to share her results with you.
What do you think?
Thank you once again to another lovely patient who has allowed us to share her photos with you.
She came to see me wanting a refresh and was open to suggestions, surgical and non-surgical. Her biggest concern however was wrinkles and lines and skin texture problems.
Surgery doesn’t help with this and injectables are limited too - the gold standard here is laser resurfacing, which is what we went with. We did a full field ablation of the full face including her eyelids.
This is her a month or so later. You can see she is still a bit red, especially around the eyes where we went the deepest, but she is already loving life with her new skin.
What do you think?
The non-surgical facelift!
You might have heard us talking a lot recently about combination treatments, using different treatment modalities to create synergy in non-surgical rejuvenation. The reason this works so well is that the different layers of the face age in different ways.
We focus a lot on skin tightening, which is super important, but that’s only the outer layer of the face. Below that the fat, bone and muscle are all changing too.
This lovely lady was relatively new to aesthetics and wanted a more comprehensive rejuvenation without surgery. We decided to do the combination approach using @sofwave.uk to tighten the skin of the face and neck, whilst using HA to restore volume to the fat and bone.
This is her a few months later - her whole face looks tighter, softer, less tired - but in a way that looks completely natural. She is delighted with the result that still looks like her, just a really refreshed version.
What do you think?