Get a Leg Up on Varicose Veins

Are you dreading wearing shorts or skirts due to varicose veins? Your MetroHealth care team is here to help get your legs ready for warmer weather. 

Varicose veins are caused by blood pooling in the veins of the legs rather than circulating back up to your heart. “Varicose veins can be both a cosmetic issue and a health problem,” says James Persky, MD, a vascular surgeon with MetroHealth.

Types of Varicose Vein Treatments

You’ll start with conservative treatment, which includes: 

• Walking (exercising the calf muscle helps with blood circulation). 
• Gentle elevation of legs when lying down. 
• Wearing support stockings. 

For some people, these alone are enough. For those who are still having issues, there are a range of options, and the latest trend is a minimally invasive procedure. In the past, vein surgery meant a hospital stay; today, nearly all procedures are outpatient and involve very little downtime. 

There are three types of in-office procedures that treat the varicose veins that are closer to the surface. All take about 30 minutes and you’re able to walk out of the clinic on your own and go about your day.

Radiofrequency ablation

The surgeon puts an IV in a vein near your knee. Then, using ultrasound guidance, they position a catheter (a thin, flexible tube). The catheter delivers a type of heat that welds the vein shut.

Laser ablation

This is the same procedure as radiofrequency ablation, but using a laser probe to provide the heat that closes off the varicose veins.

Chemical ablation

 Instead of heat, the surgeon uses a small amount of a chemical solution that irritates the walls of the vein and makes the veins close off.

For people who have superficial subdermal veins, sometimes called spider veins or reticular veins, we offer minimally invasive procedures that remove the veins through tiny incisions. This is called a stab phlebectomy. 

Management of varicose veins has come a long way. Now, less than 5% of people need a more invasive procedure that involves open surgery which is still an outpatient procedure.  

Don’t be afraid to seek treatment, even if it’s just because you don’t like the way your veins look. You should feel comfortable scheduling an appointment with the MetroHealth varicose vein care team, especially if you have troubling symptoms such as swelling or pain.