Options For Treating Unsightly Varicose Veins
Even if they do not cause you any pain, varicose veins are unsightly and can affect what type of clothes you choose to wear. The presence of twisted, purplish and blue bulging lines right below the surface of the skin on your legs and other places occur due to increased blood pressure in superficial veins. Genetics, obesity, aging, smoking and leg injuries may play a part in the development of varicose veins. If the condition causes you pain or you simply want to get rid of the veins, you have several options for treatment.
Ligation and Stripping
Clinics that specialize in varicose veins can recommend several treatment plans. Doctors may narrow your options based on your medical history, age, overall health, symptoms and expected outcome. If you need to have veins completely removed, doctors may perform a surgical procedure called ligation and stripping.
This procedure is common for patients who suffer from serious pain, swelling and skin problems due to varicose veins. The surgeon will make an incision to tie off veins and remove vein tissue. It is a minimally invasive procedure and requires anesthesia.
Depending on your circumstances, you can have ligation and stripping performed as an outpatient or within a hospital setting. It takes less than a few hours to perform. After a period of healing for several weeks, you should notice an improvement in the appearance of your legs where you previously had varicose veins.
Ambulatory Phlebectomy
Ambulatory phlebectomy is another minimally invasive procedure to remove varicose veins. Doctors make small cuts in the skin to remove the unsightly, protruding veins. The small skin incisions do not require stitches to heal. Overall, the procedure is quick, only requires local anesthesia and has a short recovery period.
You can receive this treatment as an outpatient. In addition, patients who undergo ambulatory phlebectomy generally show minimal scarring. It is a low-risk procedure compared to other surgical treatments to manage varicose veins. During recovery, doctors may require you to wear compression stockings to aid healing.
Sclerotherapy
Another non-surgical treatment that can be performed in a clinic setting is sclerotherapy. This procedure, sometimes performed by plastic surgeons, involves injecting a chemical called sclerosant into the veins to cause them to collapse.
Sclerotherapy is generally performed on clusters of smaller veins, also known as spider veins because of the way they appear to spread out across your skin. After the injection of sclerosant, the veins will eventually fade and wither away.
You will have to wear compression stockings over gauze pads that cover the injection locations for a few days after treatment and follow instructions for limiting strenuous activities. If flare ups of spider veins occur, you may have to undergo repeat treatment.
Laser Therapy
Doctors can also use state-of-the-art lasers to treat varicose veins. This minimally invasive technique, also called ablation, is one of the safest and most effective ways to treat unsightly veins in your legs.
Lasers can destroy the veins, causing them to collapse and fade. The procedure is ideal for large varicose veins as well as groups of small spider veins.
The simplest type of ablation uses a laser outside of your skin. However, depending on your condition, a doctor may opt to use endovenous laser therapy. This involves inserting a laser fiber inside the vein to destroy the tissue.
Laser therapy can be completed in a clinic, such as the Vein Clinic Of Las Vegas, and does not require anesthesia. It takes an hour or less and you can resume your daily activities right away. In fact, laser treatment is one of the best options for treating varicose veins according to a recent study.
Regardless of how you and your doctor chose to treat your varicose veins, you should incorporate healthy habits into your lifestyle that can help prevent future occurrences of the condition including performing regular exercise, working to maintain a healthy weight, avoiding sitting for long periods and eating a low-salt diet.
Share