Vein Care: Get Legs that Look and Feel Healthy

Sclerotherapy is the most common treatment for spider and varicose veins. A concentrated saline solution is injected into the veins and then hardens. This causes the veins to close and collapse. Over time, healthy blood vessels will absorb the blood flow.

This removes veins by using high-intensity laser beams or intense pulsating light that's guided by an ultrasound.

This removes your veins using tiny punctures or incisions (cuts) along the path of the vein. Your surgeon then uses a phlebectomy hook (similar to a tiny crochet hook) to remove your veins through these small incisions.

This may be used in place of vein stripping. A thin catheter is inserted into the vein through a small opening using a single needle stick. The catheter delivers radio frequency energy to the vein, which causes it to heat, collapse and seal shut. Over time, other healthy veins will take over..

This new, minimally invasive procedure uses an advanced medical adhesive to close the diseased vein. VenaSeal™ is designed to minimize patient discomfort and recovery time. It offers many benefits to the patient, including no need for anesthesia or compression stockings after the procedure.

This catheter-based treatment uses a rotating tip to disperse medicine and close damaged veins.

This catheter-based treatment injects foam into the diseased vein, causing it to close or collapse.

Varicose veins are enlarged, twisted and weakened blood veins. They can happen anywhere on the body but are most common in the legs.

Varicose veins are caused by venous insufficiency. When blood flows too slowly, not at all, or backward, the blood pools in the blood vessels of the legs.

When the blood pools, some veins become enlarged and appear dark, twisted and bulging from the skin. This is commonly referred to as varicose. Although they're deeper under the skin than spider veins, they appear as bulging veins raised above the skin.

Spider veins are a milder condition caused by the dilation (expansion) of a small group of blood vessels near the surface of your skin. They often look like a sunburst or "spider web," are red or blue in color and are often found on the face and legs.

At this time, no one knows what causes spider veins. However, contributing factors include age, family history, hormonal changes and pregnancy.

While some risk factors are out of your control, there are some steps you can take to prevent the development of varicose veins. Knowing which risk factors apply to you can go a long way in helping you prevent or manage the condition.

Risk factors for varicose veins include:

• Age.
• Being overweight.
• Being a woman.
• Not being physically active.
• Genes and family history.
• Pregnancy.
• Smoking.
• Taking oral contraceptives or hormone replacement.

Maintaining a healthy weight and exercising regularly can help stop varicose veins from forming. Other ways to prevent them include:

• Putting up your feet while sitting.
• Uncrossing your legs while sitting.
• Wearing compression stockings.

Some jobs may increase your risk for developing varicose veins. Sitting or standing in one spot for an extended period puts the calf muscle in standby mode, allowing blood to pool in the leg. Making an effort to alternate between sitting and standing throughout the day can help prevent blood from pooling in the legs. Also ,wearing compression stockings can help if it isn’t possible to move around throughout the day.

Your vascular specialist will get to know your complete medical history and perform physical exam. Also, you may have one of the following diagnostic tests:

• Duplex ultrasound. An ultrasound that checks the blood flow and structure of your veins.
• Color-flow imaging. Also called a triplex ultrasound, this procedure is similar to a duplex ultrasound in that it uses color to show the direction of blood flow.
• Magnetic resonance venography (MRV). MRV uses a combination of large magnets and a computer to view your veins. During this test, a dye is injected into your veins for a better view.

Some jobs may increase your risk for developing varicose veins. Sitting or standing in one spot for an extended period puts the calf muscle in standby mode, allowing blood to pool in the leg. Making an effort to alternate between sitting and standing throughout the day can help prevent blood from pooling in the legs. Also ,wearing compression stockings can help if it isn’t possible to move around throughout the day.

While not life-threatening, varicose veins can cause problems. Varicose veins can cause increased pressure, fatigue, bulging veins, itching, swelling, skin changes, ulceration, heavy legs and skin discoloration.

When left untreated, advanced venous disease can lead to painful, disabling symptoms and conditions, including:

• A venous stasis ulcer, which forms when there isn't proper drainage in the enlarged vein.
• Phlebitis, an inflammation of the vein.
• Thrombosis, a blood clot that forms in an enlarged vein.

Some jobs may increase your risk for developing varicose veins. Sitting or standing in one spot for an extended period puts the calf muscle in standby mode, allowing blood to pool in the leg. Making an effort to alternate between sitting and standing throughout the day can help prevent blood from pooling in the legs. Also ,wearing compression stockings can help if it isn’t possible to move around throughout the day.

Even with minimally invasive procedures, your body needs time to recover. It’s common and very probable that your legs will look worse after treatment before they get better.

Temporary bruising at or near the injection site or along the course of the vein is common. Injection sites sometimes experience redness and swelling, small sores or darkened skin. Our Jobst Vein Care experts agree that winter is good time to have vein care treatment. During the winter, you can cover healing skin to help prevent post-procedure skin discoloration from sun exposure.

For small varicose or spider veins, it typically takes three to six weeks for results. Major veins might take three to four months. You might need more than one treatment to get the results you want.