WHAT ARE VARICOSE VEINS?
Approximately 25 million Americans suffer from venous disease, a condition which often results in varicose veins and other painful symptoms. You know those veins you can see on your legs? The ones that are enlarged and twisted? Those are varicose veins. They are the result of damaged veins whose valves are either faulty or no longer working, so the blood is not moving properly back up from the legs towards the heart. Instead, the blood pools and even reverses in those veins. Varicose veins are usually found in the superficial veins of the legs, which are subject to high pressure when standing, although they can also appear elsewhere. This can have a significant effect on a person’s lifestyle. They can be both a cosmetic problem, making you want to hide your legs, and a medical problem, which can lead to to pain when standing, leg swelling, inflammation, discoloration, venous eczema, skin thickening, and ulceration. Support hose (compression stockings) may give some relief, but here in the South, you may want the freedom of going hose-free in the summer heat. Support hose doesn’t address the cosmetic problem, either, as not only do you want to hide your veins, you will want to hide the hose as well.
HOW ARE VARICOSE VEINS TREATED?
Traditionally, varicose veins have been treated by vein stripping, which involves removal of the damaged portion of the vein. At Meadows Surgical Arts, Dr. Meadows is proud to offer Venefit Targeted Endovenous Therapy, a minimally-invasive surgical alternative to vein stripping using the VNUS Closure® procedure. This involves inserting a small catheter through a single, small injection to seal the vein shut, leaving the vein in place. Once the defective vein is sealed shut, blood flow in that area immediately diverts to healthy veins. The defective, closed vein becomes scar tissue and is eventually absorbed the body. This procedure is done on an outpatient basis using local or regional anesthesia. Downtime is minimal, with patients usually returning to normal activities within a day. Another effective treatment is sclerotherapy, which involves injecting medicine into the veins to make them shrink. This is a non-invasive procedures that can take as little as 10 minutes per session and involves minimal downtime.
If you would like to know more about these procedures, we suggest that you book a free consultation with Dr. Meadows to determine whether or not you are a candidate for one or both of these procedures, and if your current medical condition presents any special risks. Summer is still on, and we know you still want to show off those legs! Call us today at (706) 335-3555 (Commerce) or (678) 541-0339 (Buford) to book your consultation with Dr. Meadows, or purchase your varicose vein surgery here, and we’ll call you!
