Safe and Proven Vein Treatments Recommended by Experts

Varicose veins are swollen, enlarged blood vessels that bulge just under the surface of the skin. They are blue, purple or red and may be painful or itchy. They can also lead to serious health problems, including blood clots. Treatment includes home care and noninvasive or minimally invasive surgery. Center For Advanced Vein Care may use laser or radiofrequency energy to treat larger varicose veins.

The main cause of varicose veins is the weakening of vein walls and valves as you age. This allows sluggish blood to back up or pool in the veins, causing them to elongate and become thick and rope-like. Other causes include genetics, pregnancy, standing for long periods of time and certain diseases such as diabetes or cirrhosis.

You can relieve some symptoms of varicose veins with lifestyle changes, including wearing compression stockings and losing weight. But you may need more serious treatment if your varicose veins are painful or causing other medical problems. Center For Advanced Vein Care offer several surgical and noninvasive treatments for varicose veins.

Your doctor will ask you about your medical history and do a physical exam of your legs. We may also order painless ultrasound tests of your leg veins, called Doppler or plethysmography (pla-thiz-mă-groh-fee). This test uses a blood pressure cuff to measure blood flow in your veins and help us identify abnormalities such as faulty one-way valves, varicose veins and signs of blood clots.

A common treatment for small varicose and spider veins is injection of a chemical called sclerosing agent. With ultrasound guidance, we insert a fine needle into an affected vein and inject the agent. The vein closes and eventually disappears from view.

During this procedure, we put a thin tube called a catheter into an enlarged vein and send radiofrequency or laser energy through the tip of the catheter. This heat damages the inside lining of the vein, which causes it to collapse and seal shut. Blood is then redirected through healthy nearby veins.

If you need more severe treatment for varicose veins, we may suggest a procedure such as vein stripping. This involves making two tiny incisions, one near the groin area and another below your knee. Your vascular surgeon removes the diseased vein through these incisions. This is done on an outpatient basis, and you may return to normal activities in about four weeks.

You can reduce your risk of developing new varicose and spider veins by wearing compression stockings. You can buy them at many pharmacies and medical supply stores. Some insurance plans cover the cost of prescription-strength stockings for venous disease.

Noninvasive varicose vein treatments include sclerotherapy and laser therapy. In sclerotherapy, your healthcare professional injects varicose veins with a solution or foam that scars the inside of the vein and causes it to close. You might need more than one treatment and some treated veins might fade over a few weeks to a few months. You can get sclerotherapy in your healthcare professional’s office under light sedation with local anesthesia.

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