Varicose veins can be treated with lifestyle adjustments, including frequent exercise, weight loss, less restrictive clothing and leg elevation. Avoiding standing and sitting for long periods of time may also help. Compression stockings are a common suggestion as well and help veins move blood more efficiently.
The vascular surgeons at The Vascular Center at Mercy offer additional treatment options should they be necessary. Our highly skilled doctors use advanced, minimally invasive VenaSeal™, Venefit™ (formerly known as VNUS Closure™) and Veingogh© treatment options for patients with varicose veins. Other options include:
- Sclerotherapy is an injection procedure that scars and closes the veins
- Laser treatments are effective on smaller varicose veins and do not require incisions or needles
- Catheter procedures are performed on larger veins requiring the insertion of the catheter into a vein which is heated and collapsed
- Phlebectomy helps remove smaller varicose veins with a series of skin punctures
- Minimally invasive surgery, including vein stripping or ligation, involves small incisions to remove the vein entirely. In advanced cases, an endoscopic surgery may be needed using a thin video camera to find and remove the veins