Varicose Veins
If you have varicose veins, our doctors will provide you with the most effective treatments available, including laser/RF (radiofrequency) ablation. You will receive a personalized consultation to help you find the causes of your vein problems and choose the treatment that is best for you—all in a convenient and comfortable office.
Is your vein doctor a Vascular Specialist? ASK. It’s your right to know.
Understanding Venous Insufficiency
Venous insufficiency is a very common condition in which the veins have problems sending blood from the legs back to the heart.
In healthy veins, there is continuous flow of blood from the limbs back toward the heart. There are valves within the veins of the legs that prevent the backflow of blood. When the forward flow of blood through the veins is impaired, as in the case of a blood clot, venous insufficiency occurs.
Have you been told you have venous insufficiency? If so, you’re not alone.
- Approximately half of the U.S. population has venous disease—50 to 55 percent of women and 40 to 45 percent of men. Of these, 20 to 25 percent of women and 10 to 15 percent of men will have visible varicose veins.
- Varicose veins affect one out of two people age 50 and older, and 15 to 25 percent of all adults.
Symptoms
Symptoms caused by venous insufficiency and varicose veins include leg aching, pain, and heaviness. These symptoms tend to be worse by the end of the day and are relieved by rest and elevating the legs. With advanced venous insufficiency, open wounds may develop. These are called venous stasis ulcers.
People without visible varicose veins can still have symptoms. The symptoms can arise from spider veins as well as from varicose veins because, in both cases, the symptoms are caused by pressure on nerves by dilated veins.
If you are experiencing any of the symptoms listed above or have noticed other symptoms you believe are caused from venous insufficiency and/or varicose veins, don’t wait to seek medical attention. We offer several treatment options that will quickly and effectively relieve your symptoms and have you feeling like yourself again.
Diagnosis
We will assess the valves within your leg veins though an ultrasound examination. We then develop a vein map that distinguishes your good veins from the ones with leaky valves. Once we have pinpointed the impaired veins, we can target those veins for treatment.
Vein Ablation Treatment
Vein ablation is a minimally invasive, outpatient procedure we perform using ultrasound guidance. After numbing your vein with local anesthetic, we will insert a thin catheter into the vein using ultrasound guidance. Laser or radiofrequency energy is delivered to the fiber, which generates heat. This heat cauterizes the vein and seals the vein closed.
By sealing the vein with the leaky valves, your varicose veins will shrink and improve in appearance. Once the diseased vein is closed, your other healthy veins take over to carry blood from the leg, re-establishing normal flow.
Before
After
Benefits of Vein Ablation Treatment
- Outpatient treatment takes less than an hour and provides immediate relief of symptoms.
- Minimally invasive alternative to surgical “vein stripping.”
- Immediate return to normal activity with little or no pain. There may be minor soreness or bruising, which can be treated with over-the-counter pain relievers.
- No scars or stitches because the procedure does not require a surgical incision, just a nick in the skin, about the size of a pencil tip.
- High success rate and low recurrence rate compared to surgery.
- The success rate for vein ablation ranges from 93 to 95 percent.
Insurance
Many insurance carriers cover the vein ablation treatment, based on medical necessity for symptom relief. Contact your provider for more information.
Additional Treatment Options
Foam Sclerotherapy
Foam sclerotherapy involves injecting a foam, which may either be a prepared product or produced by mixing a chemical with air or other gas, into the affected vein. This inflames the vein and causes it to close. Sometimes patients may need more than one injection to block the vein.
Microphlebectomy
Microphlebectomy is a minimally invasive surgical technique used to treat bulging varicose veins. A local anesthetic is injected over your bulging veins and very small skin nicks are made over the veins. Using special instruments, the unsightly veins are gently removed. No stitches are necessary and there is minimal downtime from your normal activities.
To schedule a consultation, please contact our Towson Center.
