Laser Treatment for Varicose Veins

Varicose veins are twisted, enlarged veins that can occur anywhere a vein is close to skin, but they occur most often in the legs. Faulty valves in the veins and weakened and stretched vein walls cause varicose veins to develop.

The laser light heats only the blood and vessel,” says Dr. Angle. “The heat kills the cells lining the vein and seals the vein closed.” During this outpatient procedure, the skin over the abnormal vein is numbed with a local anesthetic (similar to what a dentist uses) which means the laser does not hurt.

The procedure takes about 60 minutes. Persons who have this procedure should be able to return to work the following day. In addition to a short recovery time, other benefits include less cost and no scarring. A noticeable decrease in the size of varicose veins is usually seen in a couple of weeks. The body compensates for the missing vein by rerouting the blood flow to other healthy veins.

Laser surgery is more appealing to some patients because it does not use needles or incisions. Still, when the laser hits the skin, the patient feels a heat sensation that can be quite painful. Cooling helps reduce the pain. Laser treatments last for 15 to 20 minutes. Depending on the severity of the veins, two to five treatments are generally needed to remove spider veins in the legs. Patients can return to normal activity right after treatment, just as with sclerotherapy. For spider veins larger than 3 mm, laser therapy is not very practical.

During laser treatment, the laser is applied to the skin over your spider veins. Laser energy causes your spider veins to coagulate and shrink. Laser therapy is most effective for small and medium size spider veins. Large spider veins respond poorly and are best treated with sclerotherapy. Treatments are associated with mild discomfort, not unlike a small rubber band snapping against skin. Treatments usually do not require sedatives, pain medications, or injections of local anesthetic.

The laser beam can cut, seal or vaporize skin tissue and blood vessels. Though Lasers have been used for the treatment of skin lesions since the 1960's, wide use of lasers for medical treatments is a relatively recent development.
Recently, technological advances have improved lasers, making laser surgery a preferred method of treatment for various conditions one of which is Varicose Veins.

When varicose veins cause leg symptoms such as pain, heaviness, tiredness, non healing sores, areas of changes in skin color along ankle treatment should be considered. Conservative management with support hose and avoiding prolonged standing is sometimes all that is required, but sometimes this is not enough. Prior to other treatments an ultrasound examination of the leg veins is done. This simple test guides physicians in deciding which therapy, if any, is best.

The laser radiation is introduced in pulse mode and guided along the vein’s lumen by slowly and continuously retracting the fiber.

Activation of the laser or radio frequency catheter as the device is slowly pulled back along the course of the vein being treated.

Confirmation by ultrasound that the treated vein has been closed as a result of the energy transfer from the laser or radiofrequency catheter.

Self-care measures such as wearing compression stockings, elevating the legs, and exercising regularly may relieve symptoms and keep varicose veins from getting worse. Various treatments such as sclerotherapy, newer laser techniques, radiofrequency closure technique, and surgery are options when symptoms persist or if concern exists about the appearance of varicose veins.