Varicose Veins

What are varicose veins?

Varicose veins are a frequent problem, particularly for women. They’re veins that you can see under the skin and could be blue, purple, or red. They often bulge out as they worsen, forming twisting, protruding pathways along your legs.

Varicose veins can become severe enough to cause chronic discomfort in your legs. Large veins can be itchy and make your legs feel heavy and tired.

What causes varicose veins to develop?

These troublesome veins develop when the valves that control blood flow in your veins stop doing their job properly. The valves are meant to keep blood flowing up your legs toward your heart while stopping any blood from going in the wrong direction — back down your legs.

If the valves aren’t functioning as they should, your blood can trickle back down and pool in the veins, making them swell and become varicose veins. 

When varicose veins go untreated, they increase your risk for complications such as deep vein thrombosis, skin conditions, and leg wounds. Fortunately, there are advanced varicose vein treatments available at Vascular Specialists.

How are varicose veins treated?

The team at Vascular Specialists offers several minimally-invasive treatments for varicose veins, which are conveniently performed in the office. 

Though each treatment uses a different technique, such as medication or heat, they all produce the same results. They eliminate unsightly veins by making the vein walls collapse and turn into scar tissue. 

Over time, your body absorbs the scar tissue and the treated veins disappear. When the treated veins collapse, your body reroutes blood through healthy veins, restoring normal circulation and preventing complications.

The treatments available for varicose veins include:

Sclerotherapy

Your provider at Vascular Specialists performs sclerotherapy by injecting a medication that makes the veins shrink. When treating large varicose veins, the team often uses ultrasound to map your veins and an advanced medication called Varithena™. Varithena turns into a foam that expands to reach all the surrounding vein walls.

Endovenous ablation

During this procedure, your provider at Vascular Specialists makes a tiny nick in the vein, inserts a catheter, and uses real-time imaging to guide it to the end of the varicose vein. Then your provider slowly withdraws the catheter while sending out radiofrequency or laser energy. Both techniques produce heat that ablates or seals the vein.

VenaSeal™

The VenaSeal system is a non-thermal treatment that seals the venous walls with a small amount of medical adhesive.

The exceptional team at Vascular Specialists performs all treatments in the comfort of their office. To get rid of your varicose veins, call one of the offices, or book an appointment online.