Varicose veins or varicosities is a common condition in elderly people. It can also be seen in pregnant women, obese people, and in men whose work compels them to stand for prolonged hours. This condition is a result of weak or non-functional vein valve, which fails to prevent the blood from the heart to flow back into the legs. As a result, due to too much blood flow, the veins on the lower part of the legs become swollen, bluish-pinkish in color, and cause a lot of visual embarrassment. Apart from the visual side, if left untreated, these veins can also result in ulcers and severe pain.
Many people in the United States are without clue – how are varicose veins treated. These can be treated with some temporary methods like wearing a compression stocking or some permanent ones like opting for a surgery. There are various options for varicose veins surgery as well. You need to have a proper understanding on these procedures before you proceed with the treatment.
Types of varicose veins surgery
The following surgical procedures are available for treating varicose veins. However, every person is not the right person to opt for surgery. For instance, if someone is pregnant or have recently gone through pregnancy, then it is advisable to wait for at least six weeks before opting for surgery. This is because, most varicose veins that appear due to pregnancy, disappear with time once the delivery is done. If a person wants to treat varicosities for cosmetic reason only and not bothered by inflammation or pain, then surgery might not be the best option. Surgery is advisable only at that stage, when a person is not getting relief from home care techniques or who for cosmetic reasons; want to try another method except laser treatment or sclerotherapy.
Stripping: This method involves two incisions, where a tunneling device is placed under the skin with two incision points, one at the knee and the other at the groin, and the affected vein is pulled or dragged out of the tunnel. This method involves a lot of bleeding, along with scars from the incision. The recovery period is also 5-10 days.
Avulsion: It requires several tiny incisions and the varicose veins that appear as skin outlines are removed.
Radiofrequency ablation: This surgery procedure uses heat for destroying the affected vein. Under ultrasonic, a probe is placed in the vein, and once the probe is in position, the entire length of the vein is heated. This surgery is performed under local anesthesia and the duration is about 30 minutes. This method is useful for short-term results.
Endovascular laser therapy: This technique uses laser for destroying the affected vein. The treatment takes about 45 minutes. A small laser ray is passed into the affected vein under an ultrasonic. Then the entire vein is fibrosed. Under local anesthesia, the vein is fired in a similar manner at several locations. The recovery period is very short and does not involve much pain. Except for some numbness and mild bruising, no severe side-effects are observed.
