Around 30% of people develop unsightly varicose veins at some point, with the risk increasing significantly in later life. Due to rising rates of obesity and the aging population, even more people will likely be affected by varicose veins in the future.
Varicose veins do more than change how your legs look, though — they can cause aching, heaviness, itching, and fatigue that affect your comfort every day. They can also lead to more serious circulation problems in some patients.
When people consult us at Vascular Surgery Associates, LLC, about problem veins, one of the first questions they ask us is which treatment works best? The truth is that there isn’t a single answer for everyone.
Two of the leading approaches are sclerotherapy and laser vein treatment. Both help treat problem veins, but they work in different ways and can treat different types of veins. The best choice depends on the size of the affected vein, your symptoms, and what we find during your evaluation.
Varicose veins develop when the valves inside your veins weaken and stop moving blood in the right direction. Instead of flowing back toward the heart, blood starts to pool in the vein. That extra pressure makes the vein stretch, twist, and bulge.
Some people only notice cosmetic changes at first. Others experience leg pain, throbbing, cramping, swelling, or a heavy sensation that worsens after standing for a long time.
Sclerotherapy involves injecting a special solution (sclerosant) directly into the problem vein. This solution irritates the vein’s lining, causing it to close. Over time, your body absorbs the treated blood vessel, and blood reroutes through healthier veins.
Sclerotherapy works especially well for surface veins that are easily accessible with a fine needle. It can improve the look of visible veins and help relieve symptoms when those veins contribute to discomfort.
We often use sclerotherapy for smaller varicose veins and spider veins. It’s a popular option because it doesn’t require surgery and is a straightforward in-office procedure. Most sessions take little time, and many patients return to normal activities the same day.
Laser vein treatment uses heat energy to close unhealthy veins. In some cases, we use lasers on the skin’s surface to treat very small visible veins. In other cases, we use a minimally invasive approach called endovenous laser ablation (EVLA) to treat larger veins beneath the skin.
With EVLA, we guide a small laser fiber into the diseased vein and use heat to seal it shut from the inside. Blood then moves into nearby healthy veins instead. This treatment often works well for larger blood vessels that feed visible varicose veins on the legs.
Laser vein treatment can target the source of the problem more directly when a larger underlying vein causes symptoms, which makes it a valuable option for patients with more significant vein disease.
Both treatments usually involve less downtime than patients expect. Sclerotherapy typically causes mild stinging or cramping during the injection, but most people tolerate it very well. You may need to wear compression stockings afterward and avoid certain activities for a short time.
Laser vein treatment can cause mild soreness, tightness, or bruising after the procedure. We often recommend walking soon after treatment, and compression stockings can also be helpful.
Both treatments tend to be much easier than patients fear before they come in.
For spider veins and very small surface veins, sclerotherapy often gives excellent results. It’s precise, effective, and well-suited for veins that don’t need a larger internal treatment. In many cases, we consider it one of the best options for these smaller visible veins.
For larger varicose veins or deeper veins with faulty valves, laser vein treatment often works better. That’s because it can close the larger vein that drives the problem. If we treat only the surface veins and ignore the underlying source, the results may not last as well.
In some cases, the best plan includes both treatments. We may use laser treatment to close the larger diseased vein first, then apply sclerotherapy later to treat the smaller veins that remain visible. That combination can provide patients with better symptom relief and superior cosmetic results.
We also offer additional vein treatments as part of our comprehensive vein care strategy, including Varithena® microfoam, VenaSeal™ Closure System adhesive, and ClosureFast™ radiofrequency ablation.
When patients ask us which option to choose, we tell them this: The best treatment is the one that matches the vein problem you actually have. To arrange an assessment, call Vascular Surgery Associates, LLC, or request more information by completing our online inquiry form.
