How Serious is Varicose Vein Surgery?

Most patients with spider veins and varicose veins avoid consulting vein doctors because they assume they’ll be asked to undergo surgery. If you believe you need surgery for your spider veins and varicose veins, you are fortunately mistaken. In the past, vein doctors could only treat chronic venous insufficiency and varicose veins using complex surgical procedures, such as vein ligation, vein stripping, and venous bypass surgery. But thanks to modern advancements in vein care and technology, we can address the root cause of your vein problems without surgery.

Varicose vein surgery is indeed a serious procedure. Most vascular surgeries involve hospitalization, and the surgery is performed under general anesthesia. The vascular surgeon must make numerous large incisions on the legs to access the diseased saphenous vein responsible for your vein problems. After accessing the diseased vein, the surgeon may use numerous techniques and tools, such as hooks, to extract the problematic vein. Once the diseased vein is removed, the incisions are sutured closed, following which you are placed under observation.

Vascular surgeries are complex, invasive procedures that involve multiple excisions, hospitalization, and days or weeks of downtime. As such, they’re serious procedures for which you must take extended time away from work and social events. But fortunately, we don’t need to rely on vascular surgeries anymore. Minimally invasive vein treatments are safer, more effective, and more convenient. They’re in-office procedures that involve small incisions or injections, and they conclude within an hour with no downtime. Patients can immediately resume their daily activities after minimally invasive procedures.

If you’re considering vein treatments, you must talk with your doctor about your minimally invasive spider vein and varicose vein treatment options. If your vein doctor recommends vascular surgery, please seek a second, third, or even tenth opinion. Varicose vein surgery should only be recommended after all other minimally invasive vein treatment options have been exhausted. Below, we highlight the drawbacks of varicose vein surgery and the benefits of minimally invasive vein treatments, and we describe the best vein treatment options.

• Complexity: Varicose vein surgery is an open surgery that involves using numerous invasive techniques, such as scalpels, hooks, and large incisions to access the diseased veins. Because of the complexity of the procedure, there’s a higher risk of things going wrong.
• Risks: All surgical procedures carry an inherent risk of infections and complications. When large incisions are made on your body, you are left vulnerable to several types of infections. Varicose vein surgery has a relatively high risk of infections and deep vein thrombosis.
• Downtime: Varicose vein surgery requires hospitalization and downtime. You have to be admitted to the hospital for a few days, and then you need to take a few days off work to recover completely. As such, there’s considerable professional and social downtime.
• Limited Success: Varicose vein surgery is usually successful, but its success rate is lower than that of minimally invasive vein treatments. The success of your treatment also depends heavily on the vascular surgeon’s skills.
• Outdated: Varicose vein surgery is now considered outdated and obsolete. It might be considered in extremely rare and severe cases, but it’s not used for general cases of spider veins and varicose veins. Minimally invasive procedures are the gold standard.

Radiofrequency ablation, endovenous laser ablation, and venaseal are some of the best minimally invasive varicose vein treatments. These procedures address the root cause of your vein problems — chronic venous insufficiency. During these procedures, the vein doctor uses thermal energy, laser energy, or medical-grade adhesives to seal or destroy the diseased saphenous vein responsible for your vein problems. The accumulated blood reroutes into healthier leg veins, restoring optimal blood circulation to the heart.

Ambulatory phlebectomy, foam sclerotherapy, sclerotherapy, and clarivein are some of the best minimally invasive treatments for spider veins and superficial varicose veins. After the primary vein treatment, the vein doctor may perform one of these procedures to remove spider veins and superficial varicose veins from the skin’s surface, thus improving your leg’s appearance. Your vein doctor must curate the ideal vein treatment plan and select the best vein treatments for your specific needs.

The New York Vein Treatment Center is the leading state-of-the-art center for vein treatment in Midtown Manhattan, located a short walk from Central Park and the Grand Central Station. Our center for vein treatment is led by highly-skilled, board-certified, and fellowship-trained vein doctors specializing in the latest minimally invasive spider vein and varicose vein treatments. We only provide minimally invasive procedures, and we only consider surgical procedures when all other solutions fail (which is almost never). Please schedule an appointment to explore your minimally invasive vein treatment options in New York.