Pain-free and dancing thanks to varicose vein ablation
Patti Casey is a new woman thanks to a new procedure offered by MaineGeneral
By Shelby Stanley
After 20 years living in pain, Patti Casey of Pittston didn’t see a solution to her varicose veins. She began developing them when she was 19 years old and they “grew to be as thick as my fingers,” she said.
For more than 20 years she had swollen ankles and was in constant pain. An earlier procedure she tried in the 1990s included multiple injections and didn’t solve the problem.
Thanks to a newer procedure called vein ablation, Casey was able to have her varicose veins treated right in her doctor's office and was healed in two weeks.
The procedure is quick and minimally invasive. It involves a catheter placed into the vein at the level of the knee and then the varicose vein is closed. Blood then reroutes to healthier vessels.
“The procedure is less invasive than a dental appointment,” she said. “It caused me far more anxiety to have my teeth cleaned.”
During Casey’s procedure, a staff member stood by her and talked to her about Food Network while music played in the background. The procedure was completed within 90 minutes and she was bandaged and wearing compression stockings.
After surgery, Casey was told to keep walking. Two weeks later, she no longer needed the compression hose, and she couldn’t be happier.
“I have absolutely no pain. For 20 years I had aching and cramping and pain that I learned to live with,” she said, “so to not have that pain is astonishing.”
Now that Casey’s varicose veins have been treated, she can go back to doing the things she enjoys, like dancing with her husband. Before surgery, she could only dance for an hour before the pain became unbearable. After surgery, she went dancing with her husband for five hours, only stopping when the heel of her shoe broke.
“I can’t say enough to anyone hesitating, to anyone in pain. Don’t wait!”
To learn more about MaineGeneral Surgery’s vein ablation procedure, call (207) 621-4680.
Shelby Stanley is a sophomore communications major at Endicott College interning with MaineGeneral's Marketing & Communications Department this summer.
