A mild case of varicose veins does not usually require a doctor’s care. You can find relief from the discomfort of veins with basic Varicose Vein Cure and various alternative remedies.
Superficial varicose veins normally do not require medical attention, but they should not be ignored. To relieve the discomfort, your doctor may recommend the following:
varicose vein cure is usually necessary:
- to ease symptoms: if your varicose veins are causing you pain or discomfort
- to treat complications: such as leg ulcers, swelling or skin discolouration
- for cosmetic reasons:
- If the varicose vein cure is necessary, your doctor may first recommend up to 6 months of self-care at home.
Varicose Vein Cure may involve:
- using compression stockings (your blood circulation will first be checked to see if these are suitable for you)
- exercising regularly
- avoiding standing up for long periods
- elevating the affected area when resting
Here are the various varicose vein cures:
Radiofrequency ablation
Radiofrequency ablation involves heating the wall of your varicose vein using radiofrequency energy. The vein is accessed through a small cut made just above or below the knee. A narrow tube called a catheter is guided into the vein using an ultrasound scan. A probe is inserted into the catheter that sends out radiofrequency energy. This heats the vein until its walls collapse, closing it and sealing it shut. Once the vein has been sealed shut, your blood will naturally be redirected to one of your healthy veins.
Endovenous laser treatment
As with radiofrequency ablation, endovenous laser treatment involves having a catheter inserted into your vein and using an ultrasound scan to guide it into the correct position. A tiny laser is passed through the catheter and positioned at the top of your varicose vein. The laser delivers short bursts of energy that heat up the vein and seal it closed. The laser is slowly pulled along the vein using the ultrasound scan to guide it, allowing the entire length of the vein to be closed.
Ultrasound-guided foam sclerotherapy
If endothermal ablation treatment is unsuitable for you, you’ll usually be offered a treatment called sclerotherapy instead. This varicose vein cure involves injecting special foam into your veins. The foam scars the veins, which seals them closed. This type of varicose vein cure may not be suitable if you’ve previously had deep vein thrombosis.
Surgery
If endothermal ablation cure and sclerotherapy are unsuitable for you, you’ll usually be offered a surgical procedure called ligation and stripping to remove the affected veins.
Varicose vein surgery is usually carried out under general anaesthetic, which means you will be unconscious during the procedure.
Ligation and stripping
Most surgeons use a technique called ligation and stripping, which involves tying off the vein in the affected leg and then removing it.
Two small incisions are made. The first is made near your groin at the top of the varicose vein and is approximately 5cm (2in) in diameter.
The second, smaller cut is made further down your leg, usually around your knee. The top of the vein (near your groin) is tied up and sealed.
A thin, flexible wire is passed through the bottom of the vein and then carefully pulled out and removed through the lower cut in your leg.
The blood flow in your legs won’t be affected by the surgery. This is because the veins situated deep within your legs will take over the role of the damaged veins.
Varicose veins cure
First, we perform a full medical examination, using state-of-the-art venous duplex ultrasound to determine the nature and severity of the varicose veins themselves. If the swollen veins are small and the patient is so far not experiencing any of the side effects of varicose veins sufficiently to bother them, we don’t necessarily recommend vein removal unless the patient wants it for cosmetic reasons. Unpleasant symptoms of small varicose veins can effectively be “handled” for many people by changes to diet, exercise patterns, and lifestyle, and by wearing compression stockings to improve circulation. But none of these provide a permanent solution, and none eliminate the swollen veins to improve your appearance.
For a more permanent solution – both to the impaired circulation and side effects caused by varicose veins and to their unattractiveness – we can recommend, depending on the individual case of course, one of several other proven methodologies. One is a technique called ultrasound-guided sclerotherapy, in which we insert a tiny catheter into a varicose vein and then inject a sealant that makes the walls of the vein stick to each other, causing the entire vein to collapse.
Another technique we use is called radiofrequency ablation, which uses the heat of radiofrequency waves to close diseased veins rather than chemical agents. In addition, The Vein Institute is one of the pioneers in Australia of a modern non-surgical technique called medical superglue that uses a medical adhesive to safely and effectively close varicose veins. Benefits of this method are that the medical superglue sets within minutes, and there is no need for the prolonged heating process associated with other treatments.
All the methods cited above are “walk in, walk out” procedures performed on an outpatient basis in the comfort of our clinic. They take under an hour and require little recovery time. To find out more, give us a call. We will be happy to answer your questions and help you find the varicose vein cure that is best for you.