12.30.24
Lasers Or Radiofrequency? Choosing The Best Treatment For Varicose Veins
Everyone wants smooth legs. But varicose veins can break up the even, smooth appearance you’re looking for.
Once you’ve realized that it’s time to treat your varicose veins, you may feel overwhelmed wondering about the specifics of the procedure, cost, and aftercare. That’s perfectly reasonable, especially when the most well-known vein treatment, vein stripping, seems painful and invasive.
Don’t worry, at ORVAC, we refuse to use antiquated methods when we have other noninvasive and technologically advanced approaches that are fairly quick and require minimal aftercare. Although we have a lot of options, one of our more popular procedures is endovenous ablation in Rogers, AR.
We know you have some questions. You may not even know what varicose veins are, or if you have them. That’s okay! We are here to inform you about our practices and ease your concerns. Read on to learn about varicose veins and the highly effective ways we can treat them.
About ORVAC
Dr. Kevin Haney started Ozark Regional Vein and Artery Center to provide his patients with compassion and long-term care they need to feel happier with their appearance and also solve vein problems for life. He handpicked each member of his staff based not only on their medical experience and work ethic but also on their people skills and integrity.
Since 2005, ORVAC remains the top destination in the greater Northwest Arkansas region because of our dedication to providing patients like you with comprehensive care. We want to build relationships with our patients based on compassion, relationship, and trust.
To guarantee that you are receiving the best treatment, our staff focuses on continuing our medical education to stay up-to-date on the latest treatment options for treating vein-related concerns, like endovenous ablation in Rogers, AR.
What are varicose veins?
Varicose veins are damaged veins in the leg that disrupt blood flow, causing it to either halt or flow in the wrong direction. Sometimes, people may not even notice symptoms, meaning they can be completely unaware of them. For others, as the blood pools up, it causes swelling and discoloration (like blue or purple).
Usually, as they begin to protrude and become more noticeable, patients may notice feelings of heaviness, pain, and itching.
We recommend treating your varicose veins once you notice them to prevent any further complications.
Varicose Veins vs. Spider Veins
Spier veins are smaller than varicose veins and can be red, blue, or purple and appear in a pattern that resembles a cobweb. Varicose veins may sometimes coexist with them, but discomfort is unusual, although some are aesthetically displeasing.
We can heal both varicose and spider veins! Although they may require different treatments, we can always discuss your options during your consultation. If you’re unsure whether you have one or both, you can start the process now using our virtual Vein & Artery Tool.
What Causes Varicose Veins?
Vein valves may weaken, causing stagnant blood to pool in the veins. This results in varicose veins. Blood may pool in the veins for a variety of reasons, including:
- Hereditary – If you have a family history of varicose veins, you are more likely to inherit this condition.
- Aging – veins lose elasticity and stiffen as we age.
- Hormones – Estrogen and other female hormones cause veins to become more flexible. Varicose veins commonly develop after pregnancy or menopause.
- Lifestyle – Poor circulation can result from prolonged sitting or standing.
- Obesity – Excess weight strains your veins by increasing pressure.
How do you treat varicose veins?
Complete removal is the best treatment for problematic, non-functional veins. Eliminating damaged veins redirects blood flow to healthy veins with no adverse effects.
Endovenous Ablation
In Rogers, we can treat varicose veins with radiofrequency energy or lasers. These are actually fairly quick and straightforward processes that use heat to close off the problematic vein.
Both treatments are non-surgical and minimally invasive–They only require a small incision placed using ultrasound guidance.
Process
We begin by using ultrasound to assess your leg veins for chronic venous insufficiency (CVI). This helps us to determine whether to use venous ablation, or other methods.
Whether we use radiofrequency energy or lasers, we start each procedure by administering a local anesthetic in different areas of the leg to make it more comfortable for you.
Following this, we also apply a numbing shot in the insertion area.
Endovenous Ablation Process Using Lasers
Using our VenaCure EVLT laser, we insert a laser fiber into your target vein to confirm that we have the correct placement. We then activate a laser that gradually heats and emits a small amount of energy to close the vein as we slowly remove the fiber.
Using Radiofrequency Energy
We use the same process as mentioned before, only using our ClosureFast catheter to heat a 7 centimeter segment of a vein for 20-second intervals. This distributes heat energy to the walls of the vein, causing it to collapse and close.
So, which is better?
Because the two processes work so similarly, the results are just as effective no matter if you’re using lasers or radiofrequency energy. In fact, we usually determine which endovenous ablation in Rogers AR to use based on which system your insurance will cover.
What does it feel like?
We prioritize your comfort. That’s why we offer so many minimally invasive options. It’s also why we administer numbing and anesthesia—so you won’t feel pain. Although you’ll probably be in the office for about an hour, the treatment itself usually takes 3 to 5 minutes.
If that still doesn’t ease your anxieties, no worries! We can also provide pre-procedure sedation and have Pronox (nitrous oxide) available for purchase to be administered during the procedure.
You might feel some tingling, soreness or bruising after the procedure, but we can walk you through how to manage those symptoms if they arise.
Aftercare
We apply bandages and give you compression hose to wear for 24 hours. After the 24 hours are up, we advise you to continue wearing the compression hose to improve circulation. We also encourage you to get up and walk immediately after the procedure.
We have a few other do’s and don’ts for you to follow:
Do
- Walk Often – This keeps the blood moving. We ask that you keep your walking low-energy and moderate; you don’t want to overdo it!
- Wear Compression Socks – Maybe they aren’t always the most comfortable, but they are the most effective! We ask that you wear these regularly for two weeks!
- Communicate with Us – Because we’ve built a relationship with you, we want to hear from you! Especially if you’re experiencing side effects after your endovenous ablation in Rogers, AR, that don’t improve.
Don’t
- Air Travel – Refrain from air travel for 2 weeks.
- Exercise – Walking is okay, but anything too strenuous can put excessive pressure on the treated vein and increase the risk of them reopening.
- Heat – Stay away from hot tubs, baths, and saunas.
After your procedure, we can go over all of this with you and answer questions or concerns that you may have.
After the Aftercare
Treatment for varicose veins is very effective, but it also helps to maintain a healthy lifestyle to prevent any other varicose veins in the future. You’ve already started walking to care for yourself post-procedure. We advise you to keep it up!
Living an active and healthy lifestyle encourages regular blood flow and improves circulation. We also recommend quitting any tobacco use, which can damage blood vessels- as well as cause a range of other health problems not related to varicose veins that you’re probably aware of.
You might also benefit from wearing compression stockings more regularly. Luckily, you can purchase these from us to have a few on rotation!
Alternative Options
We offer more than endovenous ablation in Rogers, AR, to treat varicose veins. We always keep your comfort in mind when deciding which procedure to use.
If the thought of lasers and radiofrequency doesn’t sit well with you, we also offer another minimally invasive and non surgical option called Varithena.
Varithena requires no anesthetic. We use a small needle to inject Varithena microfoam directly into the varicose vein and break it down.
We also offer Venaseal, a medical-grade adhesive that only requires one small numbing shot before the procedure begins. For this process, we insert a tiny catheter into the diseased vein, then, using ultrasound as a guide, we inject small drops of glue into segments of the vein to close it off. This option doesn’t require compression hose; we simply bandage the puncture site.
We have other options as well. Don’t be afraid to ask us why we choose specific treatments for your condition.
Payment and Insurance
We accept most insurance providers, you can find a list in our contact us page under Frequently Asked Questions. If you don’t have insurance, or if you run into complications with insurance covering your varicose vein procedure (which we don’t expect to happen) we also have financing options through Care Credit and Compassionate Finance.
You can apply in-office, or give us a call and we can guide through the steps! We strive to provide personalized, accessible, and affordable care for those in the Northwest Arkansas area and beyond.
Trust In Us To Treat Your Varicose Veins
Varicose veins don’t have to be your problem. You can find relief from bothersome leg pain with endovenous ablation in Rogers, AR.
Our team will educate you every step of the way, and make sure that you are comfortable throughout the process. If you’re ready to find new confidence in your legs, schedule a consultation with us!