Pelvic Congestion Syndrome – What to Expect After Treatment

If you have been diagnosed with Pelvic Congestion Syndrome (PCS), your vein doctor may recommend a venogram with a pelvic vein embolization. On the day of your procedure, you will be given some medications to relax you through an IV but you will not need to be put completely to sleep. A small tube called a catheter will be placed into a vein in your groin or neck and contrast dye will be injected to allow the diseased veins to be identified. Once the diseased veins are seen, small coils can be deployed into the vein to cause it to shut down. The blood that is in these veins will be diverted into the healthy veins in the pelvis. A medication called Sotradecol or Polidocanol may also be injected to cause the vein to close down completely.

After the procedure you will stay in the office for an hour or so to ensure that your pain is controlled and there is no bleeding at the puncture site. Once you go home, you may experience some pelvic cramping or pain for a few days or up to a week or so. This is usually well controlled with over the counter pain medications. Over the next several months, you should begin to experience less pain and heaviness in your pelvic area. Your vein doctor will ask you to follow up in a month or so to assess your symptoms.