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Varicose veins are a medical issue that affects a great number of people, particularly the elderly, regardless of socio-economic status. These abnormal inflated and bulging veins that appear in thrombin are not only a cosmetic problem. If left untreated, they may cause pain, inflammation, and even severe problems. Luckily, today’s medicine has a number of ways to deal with varicose veins ranging from surgery to lifestyle changes. In this article we will review the 5 most efficient methods for the treatment of varicose veins.
Compression Stockings
This is one of the most basic, yet most effective measures to deal with varicose veins, degenerated into fashion accessories. Compression garments help the veins function closer to how they would in a normal leg by delivering controlled compression. They are usually the first line of treatment that is advisable by practitioners, especially in less severe cases of varicose veins.
How They Work:
Compression stockings reduce the circumference of the leg, which enhances venous blood flow to the heart. This helps relieve the overdraft tension as well as limit the stagnation of blood in leg veins. There are various types and compression levels available, from over-the-counter options to medical-grade stockings prescribed by a doctor.
Benefits:
Mode of Treatment That Does Not Involve Surgery: There is no cut on any body part and hence no time wasted in healing.
- Cost Effective: In comparison to other treatments, compressing stocking is the least expensive treatment option.
- Widely available: Such stocking items are available in drug outlets and other specific medical centers.
Drawbacks:
- Limited results: Compression stockings may ease the symptoms, but do not treat the actual disease of varicose veins.
- Regular use: A constant wearing is a must in order to obtain advantages.
Sclerotherapy
Sclerotherapy or Endovenous treatment is a comparatively conservative surgical approach used to treat varicose veins. This involves injecting a chemical substance into the diseased vein. The injected chemical irritates the inner walls of the veins and causes them, over time, to fade from view as they are absorbed back in the body. It is best suited for spider veins and smaller varicose veins.
How It Works:
A solution containing a sclerosing agent (most often saline solution or foam) is injected into the diseased vein. Over time, the treated vein is no longer visible as the overlying skin regains normal coloration and the body compensates for the blocked vein by increasing blood flow to newly opened up veins.
Benefits:
- Surgery free: There is no clarity and this can be performed in a doctor’s office.
- Fast healing: Majority of patients are able to carry on with normal activities on the same day.
- Aesthetic enhancement: Sclerotherapy is one of the best treatment solutions for overgrown veins, both in case they are symptomatic and if it is purely an aesthetic improvement.
Drawbacks:
More than one treatment session may be necessary: Treatment of bigger vein or a more complex scenario will often involve several treatments.
Considering the temporary side effects, bruising, redness and minor signs of pain on the site of injection are expected but will go definitely improve within a day or so.
Endovenous Laser Ablation (EVLA)
Named decades later, Endovenous Laser Ablation (EVLA) is an advanced treatment in which a laser is used to close the varicose veins. A catheter is placed inside the vein and a thin laser fibre is threaded to it, thus increasing the heat that causes the vein to collapse and disappear altogether with time
How It Works:
It works because thermal energy from the laser damages the walls of the vein which effectively makes the blood vessel seal. When this is done the blood finds other channels and travels through other healthy veins. For larger varicose veins, it is without a doubt that EVLA is performed and it has better durability and success rate in the long run
Benefits:
- Minimally invasive: The procedure is done under local anesthesia with no major cuts being made.
- High success rate: History has shown that EVLA has been very useful in treating better the larger vein.
- Quick recovery: Normal life can be back to the patient in a span of 1-2 days.
Drawbacks:
- Potential for mild discomfort: It is not i uncommon to have patients who will experience tenderness or bruises post-surgery.
- Cost: Since it is more of a sophisticated procedure, it is not surprising that the cost is higher than when you go for other treatments but also it is usually reimbursed for medical reasons.
Radiofrequency Ablation (RFA)
Radiofrequency Ablation (RFA) otherwise referred to as Infrared or Laser Therapy is still based on the principle of heat application to eliminate the targeted veins. However, the technique depends on radio frequency rather than the laser energy. The approach works especially well for big troublesome veins and the results are long lasting.
How It Works:
The vein is accessed with the help of a catheter which delivers the radio frequency energy directly towards the vascular structures. This helps to heat the wall and this in turn leads to the heating of the vein compressing it. Eventually, the sealed vein disintegrated into the body, changing the blood flow to other healthy veins.
Benefits:
- Minimally invasive: Anaesthesia is local and thus RFA is a minimally invasive procedure in comparison to the clients undergoing an operational procedure.
- Quick recovery: It takes patients one or two days before they can comfortably go back to their usual activities.
- High success rate: RFA works at the same success effectiveness as EVLA making a relatively reliable method in the management of large varicose veins.
Drawbacks:
- Cost: Just like EVLA, RFA may prove to be too expensive without a health cover.
- Mild side effects: It is possible to experience some mild effects like bruising, pain and swelling due to the procedure, but severe complications are very strange.
Ambulatory Phlebectomy
When large sections of the more pronounced vascular structures become diseased, ambulatory phlebectomy is the invasive treatment of choice. This surgery entails incisions made every few centimeters along the length of the troubled vein and the excision of segments of the vein through those incisions. Local anesthesia is employed, and this makes the method quite efficient in vein avulsion.
How It Works:
The slits or cuts are only made in small, accurate patches around the varicose vein. Using an instrument with a hook at the end, the varicose vein is pulled out in pieces. After the vein has been taken out, the small holes that were made to extract the vein are stitched or allowed to heal.
Benefits:
Immediate results: You can rest assured that veins taken out will stay out for good since no more effort has to be wasted on them.
- Cosmetic improvement: Such correction successfully improves the appearance of larger skin deformations.
- Minimal scarring: The cuts are very tiny so the scars are minimal.
Drawbacks:
- Invasive: Nevertheless, even if it is less invasive than conventional vein stripping there is still the need for a minor surgical procedure.
- Recovery time: There will be some recovery time necessary in which, mild pain and bruising might be experienced.
Final Thoughts
While varicose veins may not be the most pleasant sight, they are considered medical conditions and come with a variety of treatment options. Whether you choose compression therapy, sclerotherapy, EVLA, or a phlebectomy, there is always a way to resolve the problem. Working with a vascular specialist may also help you overcome your medical condition and enhance your overall health and well-being.