What is the Treatment for Varicose Veins?

Varicose veins are large, dilated blood vessels that protrude out of the skin’s surface. They look like masses of tangled, twisted, and knotted ropes or like dense branches. They can be bluish, purplish, reddish, greenish, or skin-colored, and they usually appear on the lower extremities of the body. Varicose veins are essentially dilated blood vessels with excessive blood, which usually occurs because of underlying chronic venous insufficiency.

Chronic venous insufficiency is a medical condition wherein your vein valves (usually responsible for effective blood circulation to the heart) collapse, causing blood to flow backward and accumulate in the leg veins. The continued accumulation of blood in leg veins leads to vascular dilation and, eventually, spider veins and varicose veins. As such, venous insufficiency is the disease, and varicose veins are the symptoms.

When you consult a reliable vein treatment clinic in NYC, the vein doctor will examine your leg veins and determine if you have chronic venous insufficiency, usually after performing ultrasound scans. The treatment plan usually starts with a treatment for the underlying vein disease, followed by a cosmetic procedure to remove the visible varicose veins from the skin’s surface. Below, we provide an overview of your varicose vein treatment options.

Radiofrequency Ablation

Radiofrequency ablation is one of the most common minimally invasive treatments for venous insufficiency. The vein doctor makes a small incision on the skin’s surface to insert a catheter into the diseased saphenous vein under ultrasound guidance. The catheter is lodged into the diseased vein and activated to generate radiofrequency waves, thereby destroying the problematic vein. The accumulated blood reroutes into healthier leg veins.

Endovenous Laser Ablation

Endovenous laser ablation was the first minimally invasive treatment for chronic venous insufficiency. It’s similar to radiofrequency ablation, but it’s performed using laser energy instead of radiofrequency waves. The vein doctor administers local anesthesia and makes a small incision on the skin’s surface, which serves as an entry point for a catheter driven into the diseased vein. When activated, the laser fiber generates laser energy to destroy the diseased vein and restore effective blood circulation to the heart.

VenaSeal

VenaSeal is an FDA-approved medical-grade adhesive used to seal the diseased vein. The vein doctor injects the medical adhesive into the diseased vein, under ultrasound guidance, to seal its walls shut. The accumulated blood flows into healthier leg veins, restoring effective blood circulation to the heart. Meanwhile, the diseased vein hardens into scar tissue eventually absorbed by the body.

ClariVein

ClariVein, also known as mechanochemical ablation, is a minimally invasive vein treatment particularly suitable for large, twisted, and tortuous veins. The vein doctor administers local anesthesia to make a small incision on the skin’s surface and insert a specialized catheter into the diseased vein. The specialized catheter has a rotating tip that, when activated, damages the diseased vein’s walls while injecting a sclerosant medicine. The accumulated blood reroutes into healthier leg veins, and the diseased vein is absorbed by the body.

Ambulatory Phlebectomy

Ambulatory phlebectomy, also known as microsurgery, is usually performed after the primary vein treatment. Unlike the aforementioned procedure, this varicose vein treatment only removes the superficial varicose veins from the skin’s surface. The vein doctor makes small incisions on the skin’s surface to manually extract the varicose veins, thereby improving your legs’ appearance. This procedure provides instant results, but it’s not eligible for insurance coverage because it only offers cosmetic relief. 

Sclerotherapy

Sclerotherapy is the ideal minimally invasive treatment for spider veins, i.e., the small veins that appear just underneath the skin’s surface. The vein doctor injects a medicine called sclerosant into the spider veins, turning them into hardened scar tissues eventually absorbed by the body. The spider veins gradually fade away from the skin’s surface, improving your legs’ appearance.

Sclerotherapy spider vein treatment is safe, effective, and painless. You may experience a little discomfort and burning in your legs when the solution is injected into your spider veins, but the sensation is tolerable. You may also experience mild swelling, redness, and lumping around the treatment areas after the procedure, but you can resume your daily activities and work immediately. The spider vein treatment side effects usually dissipate in a few days or weeks as the spider veins are absorbed by your body.

There’s no such thing as the best non-surgical treatment for varicose veins. Each minimally invasive procedure has its unique advantages and drawbacks, and they’re all suitable for different people. Your vein doctor should carefully examine your leg veins, perform allergy tests, and review your medical history to identify the ideal non-surgical varicose vein treatment for you.

Massage can alleviate the pain and discomfort associated with varicose veins. It can push the accumulated blood towards the heart and improve overall blood circulation, thereby alleviating the discomfort. However, massage can only provide mild and temporary relief. You need minimally invasive varicose vein treatments for lasting relief.

You can stop varicose veins from worsening with some lifestyle changes that encourage blood circulation and minimize accumulation in the leg veins. The following tips should prevent varicose veins from worsening:

• Wear compression stockings regularly
• Elevate your legs while sitting
• Walk frequently
• Engage in exercises that work your calf muscles — running, swimming, cycling