FAQs

We tell our Heart Vein & Vascular patients that an easy way to remember the conservative approach to varicose vein treatments is ESES (pronounced “S.S.”). This stands for Exercise, Stockings, Elevation, and Still. Exercising, wearing compression stockings, elevating the legs, and resting the legs can all help to ease the symptoms caused by varicose veins. Weight loss can also help. This approach will not fix the varicose vein, however, as it does not address the cause of varicose veins- venous reflux. The treatments performed in our Longwood office, such as The Closure Procedure and Ambulatory Phlebectomy provide longer-term results.

Sclerotherapy is a procedure where the vein is injected with a chemical solution that causes the vein to spasm and close. This re-routes the blood to other, healthy veins. Typically this is more successful on smaller veins, and is only a temporary solution for larger varicose veins.

Ambulatory phlebectomy is a procedure where varicose veins that are close to the surface are removed through small incisions. These incisions are so small that no stitching is required. After cleaning the area with sterile technique, a surgical hook is inserted into the incision and the vein is fished out of the leg. This procedure is done in our Longwood office’s vein treatment room.

Here at Heart Vein Vascular, we also use a procedure called VNUS Closure® to reroute blood flow to healthy veins. It is much less invasive than vein stripping, as it does not require removal of the vein. A catheter is inserted into the affected vein, and thermal heat is applied which causes the vein to collapse. The vein is absorbed over time by the surrounding tissue in your body. This method is also known as Endovenous Catheter Occlusion.

Arteries carry oxygen-rich blood away from the heart, delivering it to the rest of your body. Veins carry the de-oxygenated blood back to the heart. This is why it is the veins, not arteries, which must defy gravity when pumping blood back up your legs, and are therefore susceptible to damaged valves. Veins in your legs have one way valves, but arteries do not.

There are three main types of veins:

Deep Leg Veins – As the name suggests, these veins are deep in your legs near the bone. They pump blood directly back to the heart.

Superficial Leg Veins – These veins are close to the surface of your skin, and thus do not receive as much support from muscle and bones as the deep leg veins do. These veins are more likely to develop weaknesses. Most vein procedures are performed on superficial veins.

Perforator Veins – These are the veins that connect the superficial leg veins to the deep leg veins.

If you have any more questions, or to see which varicose vein treatment is right for you, contact the Heart Vein & Vascular to schedule your consultation.