Varicose Veins: Seeking Treatment
Varicose Veins: Seeking Treatment
Varicose veins. If you have them, you likely know what we’re talking about. They can be very painful, and cause your veins to be far more noticeable than normal. So how do you get rid of varicose veins? Considering treatment can be so overwhelming: “Which doctor do I pick?” “Which treatment do I choose?” We’d like to ease your decision with some useful tips.
Choosing a Doctor
Before you pick a doctor to perform treatment on your veins, do some research, keeping the following questions in mind:
- is he/she a vein specialist? – many doctors are allowed to practice in multiple fields, but that doesn’t mean they will give you the best care. Seek a physician who has been through advanced training preparing him for treating you.
- does he/she have the right equipment? – ultrasound is incredibly important when it comes to seeing all of your veins, and a doctor not using this equipment simply can’t know what is happening below the surface. If the doctor does not use ultrasound in your examinations, consider a doctor who will.
- does he/she offer multiple treatment types? – offering multiple options shows an acknowledgement that every patient is different. It’s isn’t a “one size fits all,” or even most. Make sure your doctor is open minded enough to be a professional in every treatment type.
This brings us to the next decision.
Choosing a Treatment Type
This can be equally overwhelming as there are several types of treatments for several types of veins. The three main options for treatment are as follows:
- Sclerotherapy – this is a foam treatment aimed at “spider veins” or veins diseased, but not easily visible. They are treated safest with this method.
- Endovenous Laser Treatment – as aforementioned, you may have enlarged, painful veins. This treatment is minimally invasive, and can reduce the size and noticeability of your veins.
- Phlebectomy – this treatment works best for medium-sized varicose veins, and is sometimes paired with EVLT for a positive result. The patient is under local anesthetics while tiny punctures are made to the vessels.
To truly make a decision, we would love to talk with you and alleviate any apprehensions you may have, along with opens in a new windowanswering your questions.
