Veins are blood vessels that carry blood from the body to the heart. Varicose veins are swollen and twisted veins that most commonly appear in the legs and feet, often causing pain and discomfort. They are visible under the skin and often look blue or dark purple.
What causes varicose veins?
Varicose veins happen when faulty valves in the veins allow blood to pool or flow in the wrong direction. Common causes of varicose veins include:
- Aging
- Family history
- Hormonal changes during pregnancy and menopause
- Obesity
- Standing or sitting for long periods
What are varicose vein treatments?
Our expert team offers a variety of varicose vein treatments, often completed so you can return home the same day. Varicose veins can be a cosmetic concern—causing symptoms such as aching, burning or bleeding—or they can be a sign of more serious vascular disease. Your doctor will review your condition and treatment options with you. We may recommend increasing your exercise, wearing compression stockings, or procedures to close or remove veins.
We offer a variety of surgical and non-surgical procedures to treat varicose veins.
- Ambulatory phlebectomy, or vein removal, removes smaller varicose veins using a series of tiny skin punctures.
- Catheter-assisted procedures using radiofrequency or laser energy treat larger varicose veins. Your surgeon inserts a thin tube (catheter) into an enlarged vein and heats the tip of the catheter using radiofrequency or laser energy. As the catheter is pulled out, the heat causes the vein to collapse and seal shut.
- Endoscopic vein surgery treats advanced cases involving leg ulcers. Your surgeon inserts a thin video camera into the leg to see and close varicose veins. Veins are removed through small incisions.
- High ligation and vein stripping tie off a vein and remove it using small cuts or incisions.
- Laser treatment closes off smaller varicose veins by sending intense bursts of light onto the vein, making the vein slowly fade and disappear. With this procedure, we don't use any needles or make any cuts in the skin.
- Sclerotherapy injects varicose veins with a solution that scars and closes those veins. Sclerotherapy doesn't require anesthesia.
Recovery after varicose vein treatment
You can return home the same day with most of our varicose vein treatments. Your experience will depend on your condition and the type of procedure you have.