What are the Best Varicose Vein Treatment Options?

If unsightly, bulging veins cause you to cover up and worry about the pain in your legs, understand the best varicose vein treatment options available with this informative overview.

Varicose veins are not only unsightly, but painful and potentially dangerous as well. But with the help of modern technology, FDA-approved vein treatments, and our board-certified vein doctors, pain relief is here (often at no cost to you, with treatments covered by insurance!) In this article, we’ll outline the state-of-the-art varicose vein treatment options available at Metro Vein Centers, from sclerotherapy to phlebectomy.

Have Visible Veins on Your Legs? Let's Change That.

If you have bulging, itchy, painful, or unsightly veins on your legs, it’s time to get them examined by a vein specialist.

The good news is that there are a number of effective varicose vein treatment options available, offered at our Metro Vein Centers offices across three different states. So which varicose vein treatments are best for your specific situation? Only our highly trained, board-certified vein doctors and surgeons at our New York, New Jersey, Michigan, and Connecticut locations can advise you on the best options for your individual vein treatment—but this overview of procedures will help you understand your choices.

With treatment, your bulging veins can be minimized or disappear completely. You can go from immense pain to no pain at all. And most importantly, you can significantly reduce your risk factors for further diseases and blood clots.

Unfortunately, varicose veins do not just go away, no matter what you eat or how well you exercise. Though you can sometimes minimize their appearance, varicose veins typically require treatment to make your life safer and more pain-free. Luckily, modern-day treatment options are minimally invasive and have quick recovery periods. Plus, insurance covers most medically necessary varicose vein treatments.

All the Best Varicose Vein Treatment Options Available:

Treatment options for varicose veins vary greatly, from daily life changes to complete vein removal. Do not try to self-diagnose your veins, as a misdiagnosis can lead to more confusion and unsafe practices. Only your board-certified vein doctor can determine your needs, as problem veins are often below the surface of the skin and can often only using the latest ultrasound-guided technology.

Sclerotherapy

If your varicose veins are on the small side, or if your main issue is more about spider veins than varicose veins, sclerotherapy may very well be the best vein treatment option for you. During sclerotherapy, your vein doctor will inject the problem veins with an FDA-approved chemical solution. This special solution causes only the damaged, unsightly veins to collapse and eventually fade from view.

Sclerotherapy sometimes takes a few treatments spaced a few weeks apart to see the full results from the treatment. Other times, you can actually see the veins disappear in front of your eyes!

excel® V+ Laser

This state-of-the-art laser technology is primarily for smaller spider veins. While sclerotherapy treats spider veins via injecting a chemical solution, the excel V+ Laser system uses a proprietary heating + cooling laser procedure to quickly zap away problem veins on your legs and other parts of your body. In fact, it’s even gentle enough for the face! While Metro Vein Centers treats primarily legs, we’re happy to discuss treatment options for veins throughout areas of your face, neck, arms, back, and pelvis as well.

Our excel V+ Laser machines are brand new, and we’re one of the only vein clinics around that offers this top-of-the-line treatment option for spider veins. Non-invasive, this procedure—like all vein treatment options listed on this page—is done right in one of our Metro Vein Centers offices, and patients are done in under 30 minutes.

Endovenous Laser Ablation

Endovenous laser ablation—called EVLA for short—is often said to be one of the best options for treating varicose veins. Why? Endovenous laser ablation results in limited down time, very little pain, and incredible results.

During the treatment, an ultrasound-guided laser targets a tiny optic fiber the vein doctor inserts into your problem vein. Almost immediately, the laser heats the vein until it closes, and blood is rerouted through healthy veins while the problem vein is reabsorbed into your body.

EVLA is used to treat the greater saphenous vein, the small saphenous vein, and side branches of these veins, so it is a highly specialized treatment. Only your Metro Vein Centers vein specialist can determine if EVLA is the best treatment option for your specific varicose vein concerns. Endovenous laser ablation for varicose veins is minimally invasive and typically takes under 30 minutes to perform.

Radiofrequency Ablation

One of the popular treatment options for varicose veins is radiofrequency ablation. It works somewhat similarly to EVLA, but with one major difference: Instead of using a laser to eliminate the problem vein, it uses radio wave frequency.

For radiofrequency ablation, the patient is numbed using local anesthetic. During this 30-minute, minimally invasive procedure, a small fiber is inserted into the problem varicose vein. An ultrasound delivers a special radio wave that essentially collapses the problematic vein, allowing blood flow to be reassigned to healthy veins.

For patients who have radiofrequency ablation performed on their problem veins, recovery takes just a few hours—meaning you can get back to your daily life quickly and pain-free.

Varithena®

If your main issues are for veins below the knee, then Varithena treatment may be your best varicose vein option. While lasers and radio waves may be a bit intimidating to some, Varithena is a direct injectable foam that is FDA approved and extremely safe.

Because this varicose vein treatment involves a few simple injections—following a local, topical numbing to minimize discomfort—there is a very short recovery period. The injected foaming solution causes the problem vein to close and quickly get reabsorbed into the body, thereby rerouting blood flow along healthier vein pathways. Aside from a little tenderness at the injection site, patients who have Varithena treatments performed at Metro Vein Centers rarely experience any other side effects.

Ambulatory Phlebectomy

Ambulatory phlebectomy—also called a stab phlebectomy, microphlebectomy, mini phlebectomy, or just plain phlebectomy—is for large, bulging veins that simply aren’t good candidates for sclerotherapy or ablation treatments. Phlebectomy is the only treatment that actually removes the problem vein from your body entirely (and it’s not as scary as it sounds).

To start, patients arrive at our office and are given local anesthetic to the area(s) of the legs needing treatment. Then, your vein doctor makes a few very tiny (2–3mm) incisions in your leg, lifting out the problem vein(s) with a small hook tool. The micro-incisions are so small that stitches aren’t needed, and you can even walk out of the office and drive home yourself!

The Next Steps for Varicose Vein Treatment

If you have visible varicose veins on your legs that are causing you pain, discomfort, itchiness, and more, schedule a free evaluation to learn about the remedies available to you. We specialize in varicose veins treatments, and have Metro Vein Centers offices in New York, New Jersey, Michigan, Connecticut, and Texas.

Varicose Vein Treatments at Metro Vein Centers

All of our varicose vein treatment options take under an hour and are done in one of our MVC offices. You never have to step foot in a hospital, and you’ll be able to return to work either right away.

In your one-on-one consultation, your vein specialist will go over your health history, risk factors, and optimal varicose vein treatment options for you. Ready to take the next step?

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We look forward to meeting you and figuring out the best step forward!