Venous Treatments are used to treat venous diseases. These include varicose veins (varices), their special form, the spider veins, as well as venous diseases due to diabetes or autoimmunological causes.
Veins altered due to disease are usually visible under the skin and are often a great aesthetic problem for those affected. Both men and women can be affected from varicose veins, which can cause pain. In the case of diabetic or autoimmunological venous diseases, ulcers may develop.
Although varicose veins often have genetic reasons, there are other factors that favor their formation. These include taking the the anti-baby pill from the age of 30, overweight, as well as lack of exercise, as it often occurs in people who spend most of the day in sitting position.
Causes and Symptoms of Venous Diseases
A genetically determined or acquired weakness of the venous walls or venous lobes leads to an impairment of the transport of the oxygen-poor blood from the legs to the heart. This results in a backflow of blood into the lower limbs, corresponding to the gravity. The increased accumulation of fluid leads to visible changes of the skin (chronic venous congestion syndrome) due to the permanent expansion of the veins. So-called secondary varicose veins can arise due to a blood clot (thrombus) or during pregnancies. The condition may also cause discomfort.
Through the increased pressure in the legs, varicose veins can cause both pricking and burning pain as well as visible fluid accumulations (edema) in the legs. There is also an increased tendency to uncomfortable calf cramps, especially at night. Therapy can be performed either surgically or using more gentle methods.
Spider veins form a subgroup of varicose veins and have the same causes. In this case, especially small blood vessels are affected, which can spread like a web (reticular varices). In contrast to varicose veins, the congestion in the smaller blood vessel normally does not cause pain and is primarily an aesthetic problem.
Surgical Measures for Vein Removal
Venous stripping is a surgical procedure for the removal of varices (varicose veins). After the closure of other adjacent veins (crossectomy), the damaged areas of the vein, which have inadequate venous lobes, are removed. The procedure is carried out by means of a skin incision through which a flexible probe is inserted into the vein.
Depending on the severity of the varicose vein, the procedure is performed in local anesthesia or under general anesthesia. Usually only bruises, swelling, and slight pain are to be expected, rarely also numbness can occur in the treated regions. During the following period, compression stockings must be worn for at least 3 months.
Removal of Varicose Veins and Spider Veins
Sclerotherapy is accomplished by injecting an alcohol-containing agent that damages the vein. As a consequence, the vein occludes and is transformed into connective tissue by the body. This method can be employed in varicose veins as well as spider veins.
A disadvantage of vein removal using sclerotherapy is that the reaction of the veins to the injected agent can last up to 3 months and an optimal result is thus only visible after some time. Sclerotherapy is, however, a minimally-invasive procedure that can be performed on an outpatient basis and has few side effects.
The injection of micro foam is a special type of sclerotherapy. The alcoholic agent is not injected in liquid, but frothy consistency in order to intensify the effect.
Laser Treatments for Venous Problems
If the vessels are too small for sclerosing, varicose veins and spider veins can be removed by laser. The high energy of the laser is absorbed by the red blood color in the vessels, causing damage to the vein walls. The vessels are closed and, as in the case of sclerotherapy, removed by the body.
Cooling the treated areas and applying creams can accelerate the healing process, which is usually very fast. Compression stockings can be dispensed with in this method of spider vein removal.