The veins in our legs are responsible for transporting blood back to the heart through valves. Varicose veins happen when the valves leak blood, causing it to pool in the lower legs and feet and become varicose.
Varicose veins can have an impact on more than just your appearance! These veins can be extremely painful or cause complications such as a blood clot or open wounds on your legs. It’s important to note that varicose veins typically affect legs, ankles, and feet but can also develop on the pelvic area for pregnant women.
Fortunately, Leg veins can be removed or reduced with minimally invasive treatments that aim to relieve pain and tiredness and prevent complications. The most effective treatments of varicose veins include the following:
Sclerotherapy
Sclerotherapy involves injecting a solution into the damaged vein. The solution causes the vein to scar and forces the blood to be shifted to another surrounding healthy vein. The affected vein inevitably dissolves and disappears when the body absorbs it.
We usually recommend sclerotherapy for patients who have small varicose veins, reticular veins, or telangiectasias.
Microphlebectomy
Microphlebectomy usually treats large surface varicose veins that sclerotherapy cannot treat. This minimally invasive procedure requires no stitches or general anesthesia since it removes varicose veins just below the skin’s surface using microscopic incisions.
Endovenous Laser Treatment (EVLT)
Endovenous Laser Ablation (EVLT) uses heat to melt big varicose veins rather than removing them with surgery. Although EVLT is mainly used for cosmetic purposes, it can treat or ease the uncomfortable symptoms of varicose veins, such as swelling, skin irritation, inflammation, and muscle aches.
Ambulatory Phlebectomy
This procedure removes twisted and bulging varicose veins by making a series of small punctures in the skin connected to the vein (1mm wide), then removing the veins in thin sections detected with ultrasound.
Ligation and Stripping Surgery
Ligation and stripping surgery requires several small incisions to access the damaged vein. The ligation process involves cutting the vein and tying it off. Afterward, A thin tool is inserted into the vein through a tiny incision during the stripping phase to take the vein out.
Endoscopic Vein Surgery
Endoscopic vein surgery is only considered for severe cases of varicose veins that are causing skin ulcers. Your surgeon will make a small incision and insert a tiny camera, then close the vein using a thin tube attached to the camera. Although this is major surgery, you should be able to resume your normal activities within a few weeks.
How to Prevent Varicose Veins?
Varicose veins develop for various reasons that you can’t control, such as family history, pregnancy, obesity, age, and hormonal changes. So, if you’re wondering whether you can prevent varicose veins from forming? The answer is no.
However, you can follow some simple and easy tips to prevent complications of existing varicose veins and reduce your chances of developing new ones.
- Avoid sitting or standing for a long time to prevent blood from accumulating around your ankles. Instead, walk or stretch your legs every 30 minutes to reduce venous pressure and increase blood flow.
- Elevate your legs above the level of your heart using pillows whenever possible. This helps improve the blood circulation in your legs and reduces swelling.
- Follow a healthy diet to lose excess weight and remove the pressure off your veins.
- Exercise regularly and keep all your joints active. Walking is the most recommended exercise to boost blood flow and maintain healthy circulation.
- Avoid wearing tight clothes like heels or tight pants for long periods.
Our board-certified surgeons are trained to close or remove varicose veins with small entry points using minimally invasive procedures that provide excellent results. Contact us for further details on the treatment options available today at Novomed.
