Vein treatment methods have come a long way in the past decade. As recently as ten years ago varicose vein stripping was the only real treatment available to patients. Vein stripping typically requires patients to undergo general or regional anesthesia, and then incisions are made where the veins are tied off and removed. Recovery can take up to four weeks for some patients having the procedure and, as www.emedicinehealth.com notes, varicose vein stripping may leave scars, bruising and can cause bleeding. On top of this, they say that there is a possibility of negative side effects, such as persistent numbness to the skin if nerves were damaged in the surgery. Luckily, there are more options available today than ever before.

In more recent years, varicose vein treatment methods have become less invasive and require much less time for recovery. EVLT or Endovenous Laser Treatment and VNUS Closure are both fairly new, minimally invasive procedures used to treat varicose and spider veins. With Endovenous Laser Treatments, a laser is used to seal the vein from the inside. The EVLT procedure can usually be performed in less than an hour and patients are able to return to normal activities much more rapidly than with vein stripping, making it a quicker and easier procedure for most people. Endovenous Laser Treatment seems to be a popular treatment option lately, especially for superficial veins.  VNUS Closure procedure is also performed under local anesthesia and uses radio frequency delivered via a catheter to heat and collapse affected veins.  Again, minimal down-time means you can get back to your normal activities much more quickly.

Another treatment that has become popular in recent years is called the Trivex procedure, which is Transilluminated Vein Excision.  It requires only local anesthesia too so allows for a quicker recovery even though the end result is far superior to the standard vein excision procedure that is more invasive.  All of these techniques are considered to be minimally invasive which is great news for those scared to ‘go under the knife.’ Keep in mind that varicose vein stripping is still sometimes used to treat larger varicose veins that can’t be taken care of with other treatment options.

Thanks to these recent ‘upgrades’ in vein treatments, patients have additional options when it comes to vein treatment, whether it be for varicose or spider veins. Do your research and always check with your doctor to see which vein treatment option is right for you.

Kristle Jones
Vein-Treatment.com Blogging Team