Laser Surgery for Varicose Veins Removal

Are you embarrassed by purplish, swollen, twisted veins in your legs? If so, don't feel alone. Varicose veins are very common in America. Approximately, 50 to 55% of females have them and 40 to 45% of men have them. In some people they are merely cosmetic whereas in other people, they can cause pain and discomfort. Furthermore, skin ulcers and blood clots may even develop from varicose veins.

Veins deliver blood from your heart to your arms and legs. There are two major types of veins: superficial and deep veins. Deep veins are near the bones and surrounded by muscle whereas superficial veins are near the skin's surface.

Usually located on the inside of the calf or thigh, varicose veins are caused by a blockage of blood flow from prior phlebitis or malfunctioning of the venous valves. When the veins malfunction, the blood in the vein flows in the wrong direction and overfills the veins. Over time, as the blood continues to accumulate, the veins stretch and bulge under the skin. Furthermore, the capillaries may also overfill with blood and cause spider veins and skin discoloration.

There are several risk factors for varicose veins. They are:

• Hereditary
• Prolonged standing
• Age
• Heavy lifting
• Female - Hormones may be a factor as hormonal changes during pregnancy, premenstruation, and menopause can cause the vein walls to relax.
• Multiple pregnancies
• Prior superficial or deep vein clots
• Sedentary lifestyle
• High blood pressure
• Obesity

You can prevent varicose veins by eliminating the risk factors. Although some risk factors are uncontrollable, others are controllable. To prevent varicose veins:

• Lead an active lifestyle
• Maintain a normal weight
• Control blood pressure
• Avoid prolonged standing or sitting
• Avoid heavy lifting
• Avoid wearing high heals
• Avoid tight clothing around the waist, legs, or groin.
• Elevate legs above the heart to improve circulation
• Avoid sitting cross-legged

If you have varicose veins, you may want to consider laser surgery for varicose veins. In comparison to other varicose vein treatments, laser surgery is relatively painless although a patient may feel like being snapped by rubber bands or stinging. Laser surgery for varicose veins is usually performed on smaller varicose veins and spider veins. Usually performed as an outpatient surgery, it does not require any incision. Using an endovenous laser, a focused beam pulses through the vein. The heat damages the vein and closes it. Since the vein no longer has a blood supply, it eventually dies. Afterwards, other healthy veins take over for it.

Depending on the severity of the case, treatments usually last 15 to 20 minutes. Treatments are normally scheduled 6 to 12 weeks apart. Afterwards, there may be redness or discoloration after the procedure, but this usually disappears after a few weeks. The success rates are phenomenal. In one study of 270 people, the success one month after treatment with laser surgery was 100% and even a year later, 261 out of 270 patients had no evidence of reoccurence. According to another source, in laser surgery, varicose veins only reoccur 4% of the time. However, in stripping and sclerotherapy, the reoccur 30% of the time whereas in sclerotherapy alone, they reoccur 70% of the time

Although varicose veins are quite common, they can be prevented in many instances. However, if you already have them, even if they're not bothersome now, over time they can become more painful. In some cases ulcers, infections, and clots can develop. Since laser surgery for varicose veins is relatively painless, the reoccurence rate of varicose veins is low, and the recovery time is short, it may be an excellent choice.