Varicose veins are usually a result of one or more veins that have become incompetent. An incompetent vein allows the blood to pool in the leg instead of normally returning the blood into the circulation. This can lead to achy, burning pains, ulcers, swelling, restless legs, and ugly varicose veins.
By treating the incompetent veins, most of the symptoms can resolve. New, in office, surgical procedures do not require significant activity restrictions as do the older treatments such as stripping the vein from the leg.
We offer VNUS closure (www.vnus.com) for treatment of varicose veins. Closure utilizes radiofrequency to generate heat on a catheter inside the vein. The vein constricts down (closes) in response to the heat. This is almost as effective (96-98%) as removing (stripping) the vein (100%).
There are other superficial veins that can be treated as well called perforating veins. Perforating veins are short veins that connect the superficial veins to the deep veins. No other minimally invasive treatment (laser) is FDA approved to treat perforator veins.