How Effective is Varicose Veins Treatment?

Varicose veins are a relatively common condition that, whilst not being particularly dangerous to your health, can cause considerable concern and discomfort. While treatment is readily available, you might be wondering about the effectiveness of these procedures. Will short term results translate into long term improvements? Or, will you have to undergo multiple rounds of treatment before you start seeing positive changes?

Of course, the answers to these questions depend on a variety of factors, including a patient’s age, the severity of their condition, and whether or not they have any pre-existing health concerns. It is the job of a vascular veins surgeon to provide an accurate assessment and tailored plan to maximise treatment effectiveness.

Varicose veins are twisted, enlarged veins that sit close to the surface of the skin. They tend to appear exclusively on the legs, but it is not unheard of for the condition to affect other parts of the body. The twisted nature of varicose veins means that they can be quite painful. However, they rarely pose a serious threat to your health.

Varicose veins affect many people, typically those who spend long periods of time either sitting or standing. There are certain factors that increase your likelihood of developing the condition, including age, gender, weight, and pre-existing health conditions.

There is a number of different strategies that can be used to treat varicose veins. Which method your vascular veins surgeon decides upon will depend on the severity of your condition.

Some treatment methods, such as Venaseal glue and sclerotherapy, are minimally invasive and involve no recovery time. Others, like endovenous laser or radiofrequency can be done in an outpatient or inpatient setting (the latter option under sedation or general anaesthesia) and they have a short recovery time. Traditional surgery involves a hospital visit and a general anaesthetic. Surgery to treat varicose veins involves tying off the vein before stripping it from the body. A procedure like this can require more recovery time.

While surgery was once the only option, advancements in modern medicine mean that vascular specialists now have a whole host of tools at their disposal, increasing the likelihood that treatment will be successful. 

As mentioned, there is a number of different factors that influence the effectiveness of treatment. Of course, this is true for all medical procedures, not just those involving varicose veins. 

Venaseal glue and endovenous heat treatment (laser or radiofrequency ablation) methods target affected veins and close them off, preventing blood from entering. Your venous return is not affected because the deep muscle system of veins remains functional and is not interrupted. In fact, having your varicose veins treated improves your circulation by helping venous return. 

Your vascular veins surgeon may also recommend certain lifestyle changes to prevent the condition from returning or increasing in severity. Increased exercise, improved diet, and compression garments can all be used to reduce the likelihood of varicose veins developing. Not following these directions can diminish the effectiveness of treatment.

In general, you can be confident that any varicose veins treatment recommended by your surgeon will see positive results. This is especially the case if you see a vascular veins surgeon who is able to offer all of the aforementioned treatment options, as this means the treatment plan recommended to you would be tailored to your specific situation. If you are concerned about the appearance of your legs or likelihood that treatment will improve your condition, speak to a trained varicose veins surgeon today.

Report this Page