Protruding blue varicose veins and sprawling red spider veins are incredibly common, affecting tens of millions of adults in the United States at any given time. Prominent veins can be hard to live with, especially if they’re large, eye-catching, irritating, or all of the above.
Luckily, you don’t have to put up with unsightly veins that make you feel self-conscious about your appearance — advanced, minimally invasive vein removal techniques make it possible to get rid of problematic varicose veins and spider veins safely, quickly, and without surgery.
At Precision Surgery and Advanced Vein Therapy in Glendale, Arizona, varicose vein expert Johnny L. Serrano, DO, FACOS, offers a full scope of in-office treatment options for unwanted varicose veins and spider veins. Here are four of his most effective solutions.
This is the treatment of choice for small to mid-sized surface varicose veins as well as conspicuous spider veins. Visual sclerotherapy involves injecting a hypertonic saline solution directly into the undesired veins, causing them to swell shut, collapse, and eventually fade away.
By forcing your blood to reroute through healthy, unblocked veins, this fast, painless solution prompts your body to form scar tissue around the targeted section of vein that it gradually and naturally reabsorbs. Most treated veins disappear within a few weeks.
While stubborn veins can require multiple treatments to make them disappear completely, you can count on sclerotherapy to deliver effective, long-lasting results with little risk of side effects, no scarring, and zero downtime.
This deeper sclerotherapy technique uses ultrasound imaging to locate subsurface varicose veins (so-called tributary veins and perforator veins) that aren’t fully visible. It can be an ideal solution for larger varicosities that only partially appear near the surface of your skin.
Also known as endovenous chemical ablation (EVCA), ultrasound-guided sclerotherapy allows Dr. Serrano to locate and visualize the unwanted vein in its entirety, including the sections that turn or twist inward, away from your skin.
Using ultrasound imaging ensures that each injection goes exactly where it should; it also helps ensure that your blood flow redirects itself into healthy veins as the treatment takes effect. In short, it is incredibly precise and extremely effective for most partially hidden varicose veins.
Radiofrequency (RF) ablation is a thermal technique that uses targeted heat energy to close problematic varicose veins. To perform RF ablation, Dr. Serrano uses VNUS Closure™ Therapy, the FDA-approved and minimally invasive alternative to conventional vein stripping surgery.
VNUS Closure Therapy is specifically used to treat superficial venous reflux, or varicose veins that have become swollen, cramped, and painful. As with sclerotherapy, the primary goal of RF ablation is to permanently close off the damaged vein and redirect blood flow through normal, healthy veins.
To perform RF ablation, Dr. Serrano uses ultrasound imaging to guide an ultra-thin catheter into the unwanted vein through a tiny incision. This special catheter delivers controlled heat into the vein wall, causing it to contract and collapse inward in a matter of minutes.
As Dr. Serrano slowly withdraws the catheter, the damaged vein seals itself shut, forcing your blood flow to redirect itself immediately. Before you leave the office, he confirms complete vein closure with a final ultrasound.
Also known as a microphlebectomy, this treatment uses a series of tiny “micro-incisions” to access and remove a varicose vein. These incisions are so small that they don’t call for sutures or stitches — just temporary bandages.
When Dr. Serrano performs a phlebectomy, he uses tiny, specialized tools to grab and remove the unwanted vein, section by section. It’s an ideal solution for mid-sized varicose veins near the surface of your skin, including the “grape-like” varicosities that sometimes persist after RF ablation.
Long gone are the days when surgery was the only option for problematic varicose veins — the myriad of minimally invasive vein removal treatments available today are just as quick and easy as they are safe and effective.
To learn more about varicose vein solutions available at Precision Surgery and Advanced Vein Therapy in Glendale, Arizona, call 602-393-1304 or click online to schedule a consultation with Dr. Serrano any time.
