Non-Surgical Vein Treatments You Should Consider

Varicose veins and spider veins happen when the walls and valves that keep blood flowing in one direction in your veins start to weaken. This causes the vein to stretch and bulge, and it may become twisted and raised above the surface of your skin. Eventually, if the vein becomes damaged, blood can back up in your leg and cause a clot. Varicose and spider veins are a sign of venous disease, which can be treated with different treatments. If you have large varicose veins, Center For Advanced Vein Care might recommend a procedure called venous ablation.

Most often, your healthcare professional will recommend you wear compression stockings or bandages to keep pressure on the veins and help them heal. They might also ask you not to shave the leg and not to rub it. It is also important to stay out of the sun or use sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30 to avoid dark spots. The treatment is usually done in our office and you can return to your normal activities right away.

You might have a little discomfort, warmth and swelling in the area where the needle went into your vein. If this gets worse, you can take a pain reliever that you can get without a prescription, such as aspirin or ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB). You might need to have sclerotherapy treatment again in a few months if the results don’t last.

The exact cause of varicose and spider veins isn’t clear, but it might be due to pregnancy, heredity, long periods of standing or sitting, and changes in hormone levels such as those caused by taking birth control pills, hormonal treatment for menopause, and aging. People who are overweight also might be more at risk because extra pounds can put pressure on your veins.

There are a few things you can do to lower your risk of getting varicose and spider veins:

Try to elevate your legs above your hips for a few minutes at a time, several times a day. This helps increase circulation and decreases pressure in your veins. You can buy compression stockings at most pharmacies and medical supply stores. You might be able to get them from your insurance company if you have a health condition like high blood pressure or heart disease.

In this outpatient procedure, your healthcare professional puts a thin tube called a catheter into the enlarged vein. They then use radiofrequency or laser energy to heat the tip of the catheter. This causes the vein to close and destroy it, rerouting your blood to other healthy veins.

Another outpatient procedure is ambulatory microphlebectomy. During this procedure, your healthcare professional uses local anesthesia to numb the area where they will remove the varicose vein. They will then use a small hook to remove the varicose vein through tiny cuts. These incisions are so small, you might not need stitches. You might need this treatment if your varicose veins are too big to be removed with sclerotherapy.

Additional Resources