›› Medical Treatment of Varicose Veins

Have you noticed some changes in the veins on your legs or feet? Are they spidery looking or bigger and bulging? No matter what you find you may be upset to realize your body is changing in ways you can’t control and don’t like. Fortunately, there are medical treatment options of varicose and spider veins.

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Sclerotherapy
A great way to treat spider veins and varicose veins is through sclerotherapy. Sclerotherapy is a procedure that is pretty straightforward. A sclerosing solution is injected into the affected veins. This solution causes the affected veins to collapse and once they have collapsed they reduce in size and are no longer visible.

Since only a small amount of solution is used in the vein the procedure is not very painful, if at all, and is pretty safe. Another benefit of sclerotherapy is that the symptoms that are frequently associated with varicose and spider veins like burning, aching, and swelling are frequently eliminated or decreased significantly. Sclerotherapy may be performed on adults of all ages however the most popular ages are 30-60.

Vein Stripping
Many individuals have varicose veins that are only problematic in one area of their foot or leg. However, other individuals have a diseased vein that runs from the groin to the ankle. The best treatment for this type of varicose vein is vein stripping, or removing the entire diseased vein. This might sound pretty scary because you need your veins to carry blood throughout your body. However, there are plenty of veins in your body to take over the job of carrying the blood that the removed vein used to carry. This is not a dangerous procedure although it may take up to three hours to completely remove the varicose vein. If you have a varicose vein that is completely diseased then vein stripping may be your best option.

Vein Ligation
Vein ligation is generally used in conjunction with vein stripping. Basically, during a vein stripping procedure small cuts are made on the outer part of the thigh, leg, etc., to strip the vein. However, in situations where small parts of the vein are healthy and functioning correctly then they are simply ligated, or tied off where the healthy vein ends and the diseased vein begins.

Only your doctor will be able to determine if you need vein stripping, vein ligation, or a combination of both.

EVLT
A new laser treatment of varicose veins is EVLT. This laser treatment is minimally invasive and is not painful at all, which makes it a perfect choice for patients who want to get rid of their varicose veins and spider veins for good. The success rate of this procedure is 98% making it one of the most successful treatments for varicose veins and spider veins available.

The way EVLT works is that a small fiber with a tiny laser is inserted near the knee. From this point the varicose and spider veins are sealed off with energy from the laser. Results are immediate and normal activity can be resumed the same day!

Radiofrequency Occlusion
You may have varicose veins and your doctor recommends stripping however you want a non-surgical procedure. A great non-surgical procedure is radiofrequency occlusion. This procedure has a high success rate and rarely has complications. Basically, the vein is heated to the point that it closes off and collapses. After the treatment a lot of walking is recommended in addition to compression stockings. Some small spider veins may be left over and these may be treated with sclerotherapy or another treatment.

Ambulatory Phlebectomy
Tiny incisions or sometimes miniscule punctures are made in the skin over the diseased varicose vein. Then, the vein is removed. The punctures are really small so no stitches are needed. The veins are removed from these small holes and even what appear to be large varicose veins easily collapse and slide through the small incisions.

There are many different medical procedures to remove and treat varicose veins, spider veins, and phlebitis. You may have some say so over which treatment you desire however only your doctor can recommend a specific treatment for your particular situation.