| Obviously, before beginning any varicose veins treatment, you should talk to your doctor to see what he recommends. Never do anything to treat yourself without the advice and consent of your doctor. You may just do more harm than good.
If your case of vericose veins is mild and does not cause you any discomfort, your doctor will probably tell you to start wearing compression stockings. Measurements will be taken and he will prescribe the right size and amount of compression he thinks is right for you.
If your case is more advanced and you and your doctors have tried everything to reduce the severity of your symptoms maybe more aggressive vericose veins treatment is in order. There are many available and finding a treatment that is right for you may take some effort.
Ask you doctor to refer you to a vein clinic or specialist who only does varicose vein repair. Call the clinic he refers you to and make your initial appointment. Make sure that when you go for the appointment you take a list of all medications you are currently taking and any conditions you are being treated for by your regular doctor.
Your first appointment is also the time to ask about the various treatments that are offered at the clinic. There are many available and the specialist should be able to give you his opinion on the treatment he thinks is the best for you based on his examination of your condition.
For many years the standard treatment for vericose veins was called vein ligation and stripping. This is major, invasive surgery with a long, painful recovery time and the surgery is not always successful. Complications like blood clots and return of the varicosities happen on occasion.
Now, there are new minimally invasive or even non-invasive techniques available that are less painful and have shorter recovery times. In fact, there is rarely a time when a hospital stay is necessary. These procedures are done on an outpatient basis and you can usually resume your normal daily activities, with some exceptions like flying and taking a long car ride.
As I said there are many, many different treatments available these days. Two of the most popular are foam sclerotherapy and endovenous laser ablation.
Foam sclerotherapy is a technique that involves making a small slit in the skin, inserting a catheter into the affected vein and injecting a foam substance into the vein close it off. Blood flow is then diverted to other veins close by.
Endovenous laser ablation is another popular technique where the same type of small slit is made in the skin close to the vein and then a catheter is inserted into the vein but instead of foam being injected into the vein, a laser is inserted and when the laser is turned on it effectively burns the vein to close it. Again, blood flow is diverted to other veins nearby.
Both of these treatments are performed using some type of imagery like ultrasound so the doctor can see the vein and get the foam or laser exactly where it needs to be. The small slit made in the skin only needs to be covered with a bandage and you get to go home. So, talk to your doctor and figure out which vericose vein treatment is right for you.
This article is for information purposes only and is not professional medical advice. Nor should it be used as medical advice at any time. You should consult with your own Physician or other proper medical professionals prior to determining treatment or diagnosis. |