Be Honest About Your Veins: A Blog About Treating Varicose Veins

Conspicuous leg veins can cause just about anyone to become self-conscious. These twisted and bulging veins, also known as varicose veins, can become very noticeable when you wear shorts, skirts, or a bathing suit.

They may have you constantly covering up your legs, which can become a burden. Fortunately, unsightly leg veins can be treated. In the hands of an experienced vein specialist, you too can reduce the appearance of varicose veins. Here we discuss the various treatments available for patients with varicose veins.

Varicose Vein Treatments

Varicose veins are not always preventable, but you can reduce your chances of getting them by maintaining a healthy lifestyle, avoiding standing on your feet for long periods, and wearing compression stockings that help blood circulate.

Possible medical treatments for vein problems are explained below. Vein treatments can be performed using minimally invasive techniques that allow patients to return to normal activities soon afterward.

Sclerotherapy

Sclerotherapy involves the use of a solution injected directly into a vein. This procedure can be used to treat spider veins (which are smaller), or varicose veins. The solution irritates the lining of the blood vessel, causing it to swell. As a result, the abnormal vessel turns into scar tissue, which the body will reabsorb, causing the vein to fade away. Up to 80 percent of abnormal veins can be eliminated in just one session of sclerotherapy.

Endovenous Laser Therapy

Also called endovenous thermal ablation, laser therapy applies heat to the abnormal vein through a catheter to damage the vein walls so the blood stops flowing through it. The vein will close off and develop scar tissue, which will then be reabsorbed by the body. Blood will reroute to normal veins. This is an ultrasound-guided treatment that is effective in treating larger varicose veins.

Radiofrequency Ablation

Radiofrequency ablation is the method of shutting down the varicose veins using radiofrequency waves. The treatment is guided by ultrasound imaging for accuracy. The electrical current will heat up the vein, causing it to scar and close. Blood pooling in the abnormal vein will be rerouted through healthier veins.

Iliac Vein Stenting

A pattern of varicose veins in the left leg could be a sign of obstruction in the iliac vein, which is a deep vein that travels down into the left leg. Patients with a compressed iliac vein are at an increased risk of deep vein thrombosis (DVT). A vein doctor can place a stent in the vein to prevent this very serious and potentially life-threatening condition from developing. Iliac vein stenting is usually performed after a narrowing of the iliac vein is discovered.