Varicose Veins Specialist

What are varicose veins?  

Varicose veins may be blue, purple, or red, showing through your skin or standing out in twists and coils. They mainly affect your legs but can appear elsewhere. Pelvic congestion syndrome, for instance, is a condition where you have varicose veins in your abdomen.

The underlying cause of varicose veins is usually venous reflux or insufficiency. This condition occurs when some of the blood starts to trickle back down your legs due to a fault in the vein's one-way system.

The blood forms pools and pockets along the vein that make it swell and bulge, creating the unsightly problem of varicose veins.

Risk factors for varicose veins include:

• Being overweight or obese
• Spending long hours on your feet
• Smoking
• Family history
• Not exercising enough

Women are far more prone to developing varicose veins than men.

Do varicose veins cause symptoms?  

Varicose veins can be a source of distress because of their unsightly appearance, but they can also cause symptoms in your legs such as:

• Tiredness
• Achiness
• Heaviness
• Discoloration
• Pain
• Numbness
• Throbbing
• Itching
• Cramping
• Swelling

Blood flow problems in your legs can also be a risk factor for developing leg ulcers. These painful, open wounds are slow to heal, and without expert management, they can lead to infection, tissue death, and amputation.

How are varicose veins treated?

To stop your varicose veins from getting worse and prevent new ones from appearing, Dr. Hager recommends losing weight if you're overweight or obese. You can also improve blood flow by getting more exercise and raising your feet above your heart when lying down.

Wearing compression stockings supports the veins with weakened valves and helps them pump blood back up your legs more efficiently.

Dr. Hager also offers treatments that eliminate problem veins using minimally invasive techniques. These methods destroy or remove varicose veins, so blood flows through other, healthier veins instead. Treatments include:

Radiofrequency ablation  

Radiofrequency ablation treatments heat the varicose veins so they break down. 

Dr. Hager uses the ClosureFast system, inserting a thin tube (catheter) through a tiny incision to access the vein, then applying radiofrequency energy to the affected part of the vein. After treatment, the vein gradually disappears.

Sclerotherapy

Sclerotherapy is suitable for small varicose veins. Dr. Hager uses a chemical foam or liquid that he injects into your varicose veins. The treated veins collapse, and your body absorbs them.

Phlebectomy

Phlebectomy might be necessary for large varicose veins. In this procedure, Dr. Hager extracts the affected sections of the vein through tiny cuts.

Find out more about resolving the problem of varicose veins by calling Hager Advanced Vein Care today or booking an appointment online.