About 35% of people in the United States have varicose veins. Not everyone with these large, bulging leg veins has pain. However, if your varicose veins itch, burn, or cause leg pain, it may be a sign of an underlying circulation problem.
At Advanced Vascular Solutions, we specialize in vascular conditions like varicose veins and offer several treatment options, including radiofrequency ablation. Here, Dr. Hadi Shalhoub and the team explain how we can stop your pain and get rid of your varicose veins with radiofrequency ablation.
Like many people, you may consider your varicose veins a cosmetic concern and not a medical problem. Though your enlarged superficial veins may not be considered a serious medical condition, they are signs of a circulation problem.
Varicose veins develop because of an increase in vein pressure. Your veins have one-way valves that open and close, helping push your blood back to your heart and lungs. When the valves weaken or get damaged, blood collects, causing the vein to enlarge. Sitting or standing for long periods allows the blood to pool in the enlarged vein, weakening the walls and causing further vein damage.
Varicose veins worsen over time and eventually may cause health complications like blood clots or leg ulcers. Your enlarged superficial veins may also be a sign that you have chronic venous insufficiency, a circulatory condition that affects the flow of blood back to your heart and lungs.
Not everyone with varicose veins has physical symptoms like pain. However, the veins may affect the look and texture of the skin on your legs, causing enlarged purple or blue ropelike lines.
Your swollen veins may cause your legs to feel heavy or achy. The skin surrounding your varicose veins may also itch or burn. Prolonged sitting or standing may cause more severe symptoms and pain.
When the veins clot, they become painful and warm to the touch, causing a condition known as phlebitis.
Whether you have physical symptoms or not, don’t ignore your varicose veins. We can evaluate your veins, perform an ultrasound to check circulation, and develop a plan to improve circulation or prevent problems.
If your varicose veins cause pain and ultrasound testing indicates there’s a circulation problem, we can stop your discomfort and improve circulation with radiofrequency ablation.
This minimally invasive treatment for varicose veins uses radiofrequency energy to heat your problematic vein, causing the wall of the vein to collapse and close. Your body then reroutes blood through a healthy vein, and the varicose vein disappears slowly over time.
We perform radiofrequency ablation for varicose veins at the office, using a local anesthetic to minimize discomfort during the procedure. We may treat several veins at one time during your session.
There’s no downtime following radiofrequency ablation, and you can even drive yourself home. We recommend that you wear compression stockings for at least a week following your treatment to support healing and circulation.
At Advanced Vascular Solutions, we don’t want you to think of your leg pain as an unfortunate side effect you just have to deal with. We can stop the pain. Call our office in Sebastian, Florida, or click the “Book online” button to schedule a consultation today.
