VARICOSE VEIN TREATMENT
Do you need to sit down during the day because your legs ache and/or swell?
Do you have burning or restless legs at night that make it hard to sleep?
We can help!
Varicose veins can be uncomfortable and even embarrassing. For example, you may feel aching, throbbing, heaviness, and itching that can be bothersome or painful.
You may even feel self-conscious about the appearance of your legs. Having varicose veins is a common medical condition.
More than 30 million people in the US have varicose veins, so you’re not alone!
Varicose vein sclerotherapy is a non-invasive treatment for varicose veins that involves injecting a solution into the vein that reduces the appearance of vascular blemishes, spider veins, and broken blood vessels.
The solution works by scarring and collapsing the vein, which reroutes blood through healthier veins. The collapsed vein is eventually absorbed into local tissue and fades away.
Veins typically fade away within a few weeks, although in more severe cases, it may take up to one month to see the full effects. In some instances, several treatments spread out over time may be needed.
FAQs
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We will create your treatment plan in real time with you by collecting data from your history, exam, and ultrasound. We will also advise you about possible reimbursement from your health insurance plan which may factor into our decision-making.
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Yes, varicose veins are a spectrum with spider veins being the most minor.
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Yes, we treat spider veins with sclerotherapy, injections with a tiny needle of a medication (polidocanol) that closes and dissolves veins.. ($300 per session)
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With our experienced doctors, you will hardly feel any discomfort during your vein treatment injection sclerotherapy.
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Yes, because spider veins are on the spectrum of varicose veins, we’ll perform an ultrasound in our office prior to treatment.
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An ultrasound will show us if you have any broken valves in your veins that are causing you to develop spider veins. If we see broken valves in your veins, we should treat them so that your spider veins don’t return after we treat them. Furthermore, treating the veins we see on ultrasound will prevent more veins from developing in the future.
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In brief, you’ll be with Dr. Brittny and our ultrasound technologist in a procedure room in our office. You’ll be awake during the procedure so that we can communicate with you and explain each step. At the end of the procedure, we’ll place a compression wrap (ACE bandage) that you’ll keep in place overnight. Please read “How do you treat varicose veins?” above for more details about each procedure.
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You will wear your compression wrap until the following morning.
We ask you to avoid (1) lifting anything over 20 pounds and (2) rigorous exercise for 24 hours after your procedure. Otherwise, you may return to normal activities immediately after your treatment. When you are resting, we suggest you elevate your leg to at least hip level.
You may feel sensations like twinges, tugging or pulling within your leg within 24 hours of your treatment. You may also notice bruising along the course of the vein. Rare but possible temporary feelings after treatment include a firm, tender vein.
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Possible genetic factors include assigned gender at birth. Women are more likely to develop varicose veins. Family history is also a factor. If your parent(s), grandparent(s), aunt(s), uncle(s), etc., had/have varicose veins, you’re more likely to develop them. Other factors include age (over 30), history of pregnancy, prolonged sitting or standing (ie, occupation as a hairstylist), or abdominal weight circumference over 40 inches.
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Healthy leg veins have one-way valves that help keep blood flowing to the heart. Vein disease develops when the valves stop working properly and blood flows backward toward the feet. This results in “pooling” of the blood, which dilates the veins, creating varicose veins.
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No, varicose veins aren’t a sign of heart disease and are rarely dangerous.
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Varicose veins are dangerous approximately 1% of the time. Severe varicose veins can develop leg ulcers. They may also spontaneously bleed.
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Educating you is woven throughout our visit. One of our doctors will take your detailed personal and family medical history. They’ll also examine you, paying special attention to your legs and feet. To ensure that your visit is as efficient and effective as possible, our ultrasound technologist will perform a detailed ultrasound exam of the veins in both of your legs. We’ll put all of this together into a personalized treatment plan for you.
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In most cases, varicose vein treatment isn’t mandatory. If your varicose veins are associated with ulcers or bleeding, we strongly recommend treatment. If they aren’t, you may go forward with treatment or not. In general, varicose veins inhibit activities of daily living like standing in place or exercising.
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Wearing compression will help your varicose vein symptoms like aching and swelling. However, it won’t treat or change your varicose veins.
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There are two categories of treatment options for varicose vein treatment. The first is thermal (or with heat) and the second is non-thermal (or without heat). Our thermal (with heat) energy varicose vein treatment is ClosureFastTM radiofrequency ablation system ($2000). During this treatment, we will give you a numbing agent by multiple injections along your leg. Then, we apply heat through an IV to close the vein.
This is a minor surgery that takes approximately 20 minutes. We perform this treatment in the comfort of our office.
Our nonthermal (without heat) energy varicose vein treatment options are (1) VenaSealTM closure system ($2500) and (2) VarithenaTM ($1500).
With these options, you don’t need multiple injections to deliver a numbing agent to your leg. We will apply a medical adhesive through an IV to close the vein.
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While we have been trained in vein stripping, we haven’t performed vein stripping in over a decade. Vein stripping is extremely rarely the best treatment option at this time as we now have superior technology.