Loading…
skip to main content
Logo

Treatment for Varicose Veins: Procedures

ID: ANH17190
MEDICAL ANIMATION TRANSCRIPT: Varicose veins are enlarged, twisted veins. They usually occur in your legs. Varicose veins don't usually cause problems, but if they're painful or you don't like the way they look, you may want to seek treatment. Treatment may also help prevent blood clots from forming in the event you have a future surgical procedure such as a total hip replacement. Some patients may have discolored skin, throbbing, aching or cramping, itching, recurrent skin infections, bleeding or ulcers. Most cases of varicose veins can be treated with the following procedures. Sclerotherapy, surface treatments using laser or micro electric devices, phlebectomy and endovenous ablation. These procedures can be done in your doctor's office, require no large cuts and have a short recovery period. You may need more than one treatment over several weeks to see results. Sclerotherapy works best on smaller veins and spider veins. In this procedure, a chemical is injected into the vein. The chemical irritates and scars the vein. This causes the vein to close off and fade away. Surface laser and micro electric treatments are used to treat smaller veins near the skin surface. In these procedures, the heat from small bursts of laser light, or electric current, make the vein fade away. A phlebectomy is also used to treat smaller veins near the skin surface. During a phlebectomy, a tiny cut is made in the skin over the vein. Then, the vein is pulled out and removed. Endovenous ablation is a procedure to treat deeper varicose veins. In this procedure, a flexible tube called a catheter is inserted through a small cut into the vein. The catheter is used to send heat from either laser light or radio waves into the vein. The heat closes off the vein and causes it to fade away. On rare occasions, your healthcare provider may advise a more invasive procedure such as vein stripping. It's usually performed in a hospital and may require more recovery time. Usually two or three cuts are made in the skin over the damaged vein. Then the vein is tied off and pulled out through the lower cut. As with any procedure, there are risks as well as benefits. Talk to your healthcare provider to see what type of varicose vein treatment may work best for you.

Nucleus Medical Media Disclaimer of Medical and Legal Liability

Nucleus Medical Media ("Nucleus") does not dispense medical or legal advice, and the text, illustrations, photographs, animations and other information ("Content") available on this web site is for general information purposes only. As with any medical or legal issue, it is up to you to consult a physician or attorney for professional advice. YOU SHOULD NOT DISREGARD PROFESSIONAL MEDICAL OR LEGAL ADVICE BASED ON CONTENT CONTAINED ON THIS WEB SITE, NOR SHOULD YOU RELY ON THE CONTENT ON THIS WEB SITE IN PLACE OF PROFESSIONAL MEDICAL OR LEGAL ADVICE.

NUCLEUS DISCLAIMS ALL RESPONSIBILITY AND LIABILITY FOR ANY COUNSEL, ADVICE, TREATMENT, DIAGNOSIS OR ANY MEDICAL, LEGAL OR OTHER INFORMATION, SERVICES OR PRODUCTS THAT YOU OBTAIN BASED ON VIEWING THE CONTENT OF THIS SITE. THE INFORMATION ON THIS WEB SITE SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED COMPLETE OR SUITABLE FOR ANY PURPOSE WHATSOEVER.

Mature Content Disclaimer: Certain Content on this web site contains graphic depictions or descriptions of medical information, which may be offensive to some viewers. Nucleus, its licensors, and its suppliers disclaim all responsibility for such materials.

close