It happens before you know it. You get changed, glance down at your legs, and your varicose veins have gotten too pronounced to ignore.
They never used to be so dark and swollen. They never used to be there at all! But as the varicose veins become more and more prominent on the skin’s surface, you may find yourself electing to wear jeans instead of shorts.
But you don’t have to be embarrassed about your varicose veins, and with our help, you won’t have to hide them anymore!
Varicose veins are certainly annoying, but you can get rid of them! Now, you might have heard of a varicose vein treatment called “vein stripping,” but you might be surprised that our team at Ozark Regional Vein and Artery Center doesn’t recommend vein stripping in Arkansas.
We think it’s important to consider all of your options when deciding on a varicose vein treatment. So we’ve decided to break down our problems with vein stripping in Arkansas and share what we’d recommend instead.
When a patient comes into our center, we’re sure to only prescribe treatments that we believe in. We’ve done our research into all kinds of different varicose vein treatments, so let us explain why you should choose an alternative to vein stripping in Arkansas.
Ozark Regional
Ozark Regional Vein and Artery Center is a clinic that always keeps the patient in mind. We know that most people are unaware of the methods to properly take care of their venous systems, so we wanted to develop a clinic that can educate and heal our patients at the same time.
We want to make things easy. There are a million reasons to put off going to the doctor, and that’s understandable. It can be a scary part of life, but we want to take the pressure off you.
When you meet with us, you can be confident that we’ll take the steps to keep you safe, happy, and comfortable.
Meet the Team
Our medical director, Dr. Haney, is an expert in the venous system, and when he founded Ozark, he knew he needed a team that was as knowledgeable and passionate as he is. And he found them!
Our team loves what they do. The medical field is a complicated one, but our practitioners don’t see it as work. They see it as a calling. Helping patients is why our team comes to work in the morning, and they’ll take every step necessary to ensure that the process is agreeable and gratifying for everyone involved.
We never miss a chance to learn more about our trade, so when we have the opportunity to use a new treatment, we do all the necessary research to ensure that it is right for our patients.
Vein Stripping in Arkansas
Occasionally, we’ll have patients come in wondering if they can schedule a vein stripping appointment. And while we do our best to ensure that our patients are satisfied, we refuse to complete vein stripping in Arkansas.
We think there are plenty of more beneficial varicose vein procedures, and we’ll tell you all about them. But before we get into our procedures, let us explain why we think vein stripping is an outdated procedure.
The Problem With Vein Stripping
Vein stripping in Arkansas has several disadvantages. The process is highly invasive, and unlike the treatments we offer, vein stripping necessitates that the patient be unconscious throughout the entire procedure.
During vein stripping, a practitioner makes an incision in the groin or leg. They will then tie off the vein and pull it out through one of the incision points. Once the procedure is over, you will be sent home, where you will be given a list of aftercare instructions. You’ll be required to elevate your legs as much as possible, and this recovery process may last as long as a month.
This lengthy recovery time might deter you from agreeing to sign up for a varicose vein removal procedure in the first place. But you don’t have to choose between vein stripping and not treating your varicose veins at all!
There’s a reason we don’t offer vein stripping in Arkansas: we don’t need to anymore. We have multiple less-invasive varicose vein treatments.
But before we go over our treatment options, we should discuss what causes a varicose vein to form in the first place. When you have an understanding of why they form, you can better understand how we can erase them.
What causes varicose veins?
Our body is constantly working wonders, even if we’re not aware of it. The vascular system is a surprisingly complex system of twisting veins and arteries, all working to move blood across the body.
Veins have valves that allow the blood to move in the right direction, but when these valves become damaged, the blood flow can halt. In some cases, it might even begin to flow in the wrong direction! The blood will then begin to pool, resulting in the swelling and discoloration common in varicose veins.
So, varicose veins are just damaged veins. But how do we treat them without vein stripping in Arkansas?
You might assume that our problem with vein stripping is the removal of the vein itself. But actually, we believe that destroying the damaged vein is the most effective and convenient way to erase varicose veins.
Thanks to modern technology, we have ways to collapse veins from the inside without having to remove the veins from the body itself.
Varithena
The first method we offer to treat varicose veins is Varithena. Varithena is a minimally invasive procedure that requires no surgery. It’s a fast and comfortable treatment designed to erase your varicose veins entirely. The process is extremely simple.
First, we inject your varicose veins with a specially designed foam that fills the damaged veins and seals them off from the rest of the body. Don’t worry—you have lots of veins, so your body will automatically redirect the blood flow to nearby veins.
Once this vein is starved, the body will slowly begin to absorb it. Soon, when absorption is complete, the swollen vein will disappear completely.
The Varithena Process
On the day of your treatment, we won’t need to provide any anesthetic. The needle is small enough that you shouldn’t feel any pain or discomfort. Aftercare following a Varithena treatment is surprisingly minimal; you won’t even need to change any bandages.
We will require you to wear compression stockings for a couple of weeks, just ensure that the treatment continues to work as intended. From there, you should see a gradual fading of the vein until it vanishes completely. Varithena is a simple process that asks little of our patients.
Radiofrequency Ablation
Another one of our methods for varicose vein treatment is radiofrequency ablation. Radiofrequency ablation is a minimally invasive process that heats the varicose veins until they collapse in on themselves.
We do use topical anesthetic during this treatment to keep our patients comfortable, but the entire process is relatively quick; and like Varithena, it won’t require nearly as much aftercare as vein stripping in Arkansas.
The actual heating occurs in quick bursts to ensure that we keep the treatment as safe and soothing as possible. We don’t want anyone to feel any intense pain or irritation during the procedure.
The Radiofrequency Ablation Process
Once the treatment begins, Dr. Haney will insert a small, disposable catheter into the leg with a small incision. He will use ultrasound technology to aid him through this part of the process. Ultrasound isn’t just used during pregnancy check-ups; it can also be a beneficial way to see through layers of the skin.
This catheter will then begin to heat the varicose vein, triggering a shutdown. Dr. Haney will then remove the catheter, and the blood flow will redirect as normal. Again, we will strongly recommend that you wear compression stockings to ensure that your recovery goes as smoothly as possible.
Communication Every Step of the Way
Before we complete either of the above procedures, we have to sit down with you and complete a consultation.
This isn’t just a simple piece of housekeeping; our consultations are an important part of what we do. We’ll complete a physical assessment of you and your varicose veins. We’ll discuss your preferences and explain the ins and outs of whichever treatment we recommend.
This emphasis on communication doesn’t end after the treatment is over, either. Whether we decide on Varithena, ablation, or a different treatment altogether, we’ll keep you in the know. We provide detailed aftercare instructions to ensure that you stay healthy and happy following the procedure.
Safety and communication go hand in hand, so we always keep an open dialogue with our patients every step of the way.
Schedule a Treatment With Our Team
Varicose veins aren’t any fun. You put a lot of effort into maintaining your appearance, so it’s no fun to struggle with troublesome blemishes—especially ones out of your control.
As a result, you may be tempted to try the first varicose vein treatment you hear about. But certain treatments like vein stripping in Arkansas can leave you feeling worse than you came in, and that’s not to mention the month-long recovery process. That’s why we offer different solutions.
If you’re interested in the idea of scheduling a Varithena or ablation procedure, we’d love to sit down with you for a consultation.
You can also get started right now from your phone or computer. We have a virtual consultation tool that allows new or returning patients to answer questions about their venous conditions.
It only takes a couple of minutes, and it allows us to get started developing a plan for your varicose veins before you even walk through the door. We hope you give it a try.