A safe and successful treatment for varicose veins is called vein ablation. During vein ablation, an interventional radiologist uses ultrasound imaging guidance to insert a very thin laser fiber into the vein. The laser then heats and shrinks the vein walls resulting in the faulty vein to close. The other healthy veins take over the closed vein’s function, thereby re-establishing normal blood flow to the legs and eliminating varicose veins. The treatment normally takes about two hours to complete. It is performed on an outpatient basis in a doctor’s office, and patients can return to work the same day. Discomfort during and after the treatment is so minimal that it is relatively painless. Depending on the severity of your condition, two or three treatment sessions may be needed.
To follow-up any of these treatments, patients should wear compression stockings for two to three weeks, as well as walk for 30 minutes a day which helps to get the blood flowing as much as possible.