Ambulatory Phlebectomy & Sclerotherapy Treatment Options

If you experience dark purple or blue, twisting, bulging cord like veins, on the back of your calf or the inside of your leg, you may suffer from a problem called varicose veins. These veins can be treated by a procedure called ambulatory phlebectomy.

When should you seek medical advice?

If you've tried alternative methods and they haven't helped, or you are concerned about the look of your legs, or experience severe symptoms you should see a doctor.

Causes

Age can cause your veins to lose their elasticity allowing them to stretch
Age can also weaken the valves in your veins
Pregnancy
Genetics
Standing for long periods of time
Being overweight

Screening and Diagnosis

While you are standing, your doctor will examine your legs, search for any signs of swelling veins. He or she may ask you if you are experiencing any problems and what they are. Then, your doctor may perform an ultrasound test to see if the valves in your veins are performing adequately or if there are any signs of a blood clot.

Treatment

Ambulatory phlebectomy is when your doctor makes multiple skin punctures in order to remove smaller varicose veins. This is an outpatient procedure and local anesthesia is used. Generally, scarring is minimal.

Consequences of not treating your varicose veins include:

Eczema
Pigmentation
Ulceration
Bleeding

You should see immediate results, but you should also know that there is no cure for vein disease and it is a progressive disease that requires regular follow-up after every form of treatment.

Sclerothearpy Treatment Options

Ultrasound-guided Foam Sclerotherapy and Endovenous Chemical Ablation this procedure utilizes ultrasound application to direct the exact placement of the injections used to treat large varicose veins. It works by treating the exact location of venous reflux.

Ambulatory Phlebectomy - is a procedure that removes large surface varicose veins. With this technique, the unhealthy veins are pulled up and skillfully removed through very minute incisions that do not require stitches. This technique is often a more proficient way to treat surface veins than using multiple sclerotherapy treatments.

Visual Sclerotherapy - this technique is generally used to treat visible spider veins and small varicose veins near the exterior of the skin. A basic sclerosant is injected into the veins, causing them to reduce in size, close off and ultimately fade away. However, 2-5 applications are often needed, but the results are long-lasting.

As you can see, there are quite a few options for the treatment of varicose veins!