If you have put off healing yourself from varicose veins or even going for a consultation with a Vein Specialist because you didn’t think you could afford a cosmetic procedure, wait no longer. Most vein issues are not considered cosmetic and are covered under insurance!
If you have varicose veins it means you have a condition known as Venous insufficiency. This is an indication of physical damage to your veins. Leaving damaged veins untreated can lead to the spreading of damage making things worse. Even if they do not start out painful, often can lead to pain.
Vein issues can make your legs feel tired, achy, itchy, and even painful. When left untreated for a very long time ulcerations can occur which are very difficult to heal.
The best course of action is to make an appointment, have an exam, and find out what exactly you are dealing with as well as a recommended best course of treatment to get you back to health.
Dr. Mark Zuzga of the West Florida Vein Center has been treating patients for years now with much success. In-office, they offer several state-of-the-art medical options that can heal those damaged veins for good.
Option 1: The Venefit Procedure Endovenous Targeted Therapy – We proudly offer the Venefit™ procedure, formerly known as the VNUS Closure™ procedure, for the treatment of varicose veins and CVI. The Venefit™ procedure is a minimally invasive segmental ablation treatment that utilizes radiofrequency (RF) energy to provide an even and uniform heat to contract the collagen in the vein walls, causing them to collapse and seal. Once the diseased vein is closed, blood will re-route itself to other healthy veins.
The Venefit™ procedure allows for a quick, comfortable recovery and a return to everyday activities for the average patient, while also improving the appearance of varicose veins.
The Venefit™ procedure has been proven in clinical studies to have excellent long term effectiveness, with less pain and bruising than endovenous laser.
*A comparison of the patient experience between those treated with the Venefit ™procedure, using the Covidien ClosureFast™ Endovenous Radiofrequency Ablation (RFA) Catheter, and those treated with 980nm laser ablation.
Option 2: Sclerotherapy – Sclerotherapy involves the injection, via a very fine needle, of a solution into small to medium varicose veins and spider veins. The solution causes the veins to shrink, close off, and gradually disappear. A session usually lasts approximately 15 minutes. There are few reported allergic reactions to the solution used. Depending on the number of veins, multiple sessions may be required, which will be decided after the initial consultation and evaluation. Sclerotherapy is sometimes used alone but in the instance of very small spider veins, laser treatment is also used.
Option 3: Microphlebectomy / Phlebectomy – Varicose veins are micro-surgically removed through tiny punctures about the size of the tip of a ballpoint pen. The word “phlebectomy” literally means removing the vein. On the day of the procedure, the doctor or nurse will mark your leg where the veins bulge out. Then, a special local anesthetic (numbing medication) called “tumescent” is injected into the area surrounding your vein. The doctor will make tiny incisions or “stabs” of about 2-3mm – the size of a ball-point pen tip – and use a crochet-type hook to “grab” the vein and remove it. This interrupts the vein, causes any remaining portions of the vein to “clot off”, and gets rid of those unsightly bulgy areas!
Option 4: EVLT (Endovenous Laser Treatment or Endovenous Ablation) – This revolutionary new treatment for large varicose veins was pioneered at Cornell University in New York. Originally performed in Spain, the EndoVenous Laser Ablation is performed in the office, takes less than an hour, and accomplishes the same thing as a major surgical vein stripping. Using ultrasound guidance and local anesthesia, a thin laser fiber in a catheter is threaded up through the vein. As the catheter is slowly withdrawn, the laser shrinks and seals the large vein that causes varicose veins in most patients. There is little or no visible scarring. In those patients who are candidates for the procedure, it is 97% successful.
Interested to learn more and find out what option may be right for you? Don’t wait. Call us today at (727) 712-3233 or visit www.westfloridaveincenter.com to learn more about each procedure.
Varicose veins are not only a visual distraction they are also often painful and uncomfortable. Lifestyle alterations can help – exercising more regularly, quitting smoking, maintaining a healthy weight – all can do wonders. While the best options to permanently eliminate varicose veins are medical in nature there are some natural things you can do at home which may help support vein health overall.