Varicose veins are swollen, raised, blue or purple blood vessels in your lower leg. They form when the valves that control blood flow become faulty.
A healthcare professional from varicose vein treatment clinics Adelaide will inject a solution into your affected vein. The solution causes the walls of the vein to stick together and eventually fade away.
Sclerotherapy
Varicose veins are large, swollen, and twisted blood vessels that protrude from the surface of your skin. They are typically found in the legs and are most noticeable for people who have long periods of standing for work or who have gone through pregnancy or menopause. Luckily, sclerotherapy can be used to treat these veins and restore their appearance successfully.
During this minimally invasive procedure, a specialist injects a sterile solution into your varicose or spider vein. The sclerotherapy agent irritates the inside of the vein lining, causing it to wither away, after which your body will reroute blood to nearby healthy veins.
This procedure typically takes about 30-45 minutes and doesn’t require sedation or general anesthesia. Prior to your appointment, you should avoid applying lotion to or shaving the area. You also shouldn’t go on a long walk, swim in a pool, or take a hot bath for 48 hours afterwards.
You’ll likely need multiple sclerotherapy sessions before your varicose veins are fully collapsed. The exact number of sessions you’ll need will depend on the number, size, and location of the varicose veins being treated. In addition, you’ll need to wear compression stockings or other forms of padding for several weeks to help control swelling and aid the healing process. You may also notice some bruising or brown lines at the injection site, which will fade within a few months.
Radiofrequency ablation
For many people, varicose veins are a painful and embarrassing condition that they would like to get rid of. The good news is that you can, thanks to new technologies like radiofrequency ablation courtesy of varicose vein treatment clinics Adelaide. RFA is a minimally invasive procedure that uses radiofrequency heat to target and destroy nerves in the area of your pain. It reduces or eliminates pain symptoms and helps you avoid surgery.
After a few weeks, the dead nerves will stop transmitting pain signals to your brain. You may experience some lingering discomfort during this time, but this will also lessen with time. In some cases, the pain may return once the nerves regenerate. If this happens, your doctor may suggest a second round of RFA or help you manage any lingering pain with other methods like medication or physical therapy.
Laser ablation
Varicose veins are not just a cosmetic problem, but they can cause pain and other complications. They occur when faulty valves and reduced elasticity of the vein wall hinder normal blood flow, leading to the pooling of the blood in the vein. In time, the engorged veins become twisted and enlarged and may appear blue or purple. Some people may also experience a throbbing, itchy feeling in their legs.
If conservative treatment methods from varicose vein treatment clinics Adelaide are not providing relief from your symptoms, you can consider laser ablation. It is a minimally invasive procedure that uses image-guided technology to close the problematic varicose vein. During this treatment, your doctor will first clean and sterilize the area before applying a local anesthetic to numb the area. Once the anesthesia has taken effect, your doctor will insert and carefully guide a thin tube called a catheter through the incision.
The catheter is then moved into position over the troublesome vein, and a laser fibre is guided to the surface of the vein. Once the vein is targeted, the laser heats the inside of the vein, causing it to collapse and seal off. The body then automatically redirects the blood to other healthy veins, resulting in a diminished appearance of the varicose vein and relief from symptoms. This treatment is highly effective, with virtually all patients experiencing symptom relief from their varicose veins after receiving ablation.
