Some Things Old & Some Things New

Tried & True

Thank goodness for medical technology!  Over the years treatment options for varicose veins have grown and improved.  At one time the selection was quite limited and both men and women suffered with the effects of enlarged, engorged veins on their legs and feet without much hope of relief from the pain and swelling.  We've come a long way.  Still, there are some therapies which are as effective and appropriate today as they were many years ago.

One of those good old-fashioned remedies for varicose veins is compression stockings or compression socks.  You may remember seeing older women in those thick elastic stockings and hoped you'd never see the day you'd have to wear them.  Today, compression stockings have a very fashionable look, but the work they do is the same.  Compression stockings can relieve some of the symptoms by helping the blood move more efficiently through the legs thus reducing the blood pooling which occurs in both spider and varicose veins.  Symptoms such as aching, swelling and the feeling of heaviness can be alleviated and they also help to reduce the risk of blood clots which may arise during long plane or car rides. The stockings apply the greatest pressure at the ankle and the least at the top of the leg.  This pressure helps to push the blood back up through the leg towards the heart.

Old/New Methods

Still considered part of the olden-days type of treatment is vein stripping.  This surgery is less common these days as it has been overtaken by injection therapy, called sclerotherapy, and laser surgeries.  The laser surgeries do not require incisions or needles as do sclerotherapy and catheter-assisted procedures.  Ambulatory phlebectomy is a process whereby smaller veins are removed through a series of tiny skin punctures.  This is an outpatient procedure done under local anesthesia and the scarring is minimal.

Something New

Fast forward to today and we discover a relatively new procedure to treat varicose veins.  VNUS Closure Fast utilizes radiofrequency waves which are generated by an electrode in order to close the vein.  The heat generated from the electrode causes the vein to heat up and then collapse.  Later the veins are removed by the body's own scavenging system.  This new system follows the former system of VNUS closure which used a heating probe at the end of an electrode.  The new system uses an electrode which is capable of generating radiofrequency waves and uses a higher temperature to seal off the varicose vein.  Nearly 6.5cm of a vein can be closed in a matter of seconds.

Treatment with VNUS Closure Fast indicates faster recovery, minimum amounts of pain and bruising and the majority of people can return to normal activities within a day.  There are complications which can occur but they've been very rare.  Perforations of the vessel, thrombosis and hematoma and skin burns are some of the potential complications.  This procedure is used for large veins and is not suitable for the smaller spider veins.  VNUS Closure Fast has been found successful across a wide range of ages.