According to the American Heart Association, approximately 23% of adults in the U.S. have varicose veins, defined as twisted, swollen veins that are visible just under the skin.
Varicose veins most commonly affect the veins in our legs, particularly in the calves and thighs, but can also develop in other parts of the body. Healthy veins have one-way valves that help keep blood flowing toward our hearts. In the event these valves become weak or damaged, blood can back up and begin to flow backward, pooling in the veins. This causes the veins to swell and potentially become varicose (swollen and enlarged).
Six factors increase the risk of developing varicose veins – age, sex (more likely in women), pregnancy, family history, obesity, and standing or sitting for long periods of time. Wearing compression stockings can be especially helpful for preventing the development and/or progression of varicose veins in those who spend considerable time on their feet or are at high risk for developing varicose veins. Spider veins are related to varicose veins but are closer to the surface of the skin and twisted in appearance.
While oftentimes more of a cosmetic concern, varicose veins can sometimes cause pain and discomfort.The good news: if medical treatment is needed, the expert surgeons at Middle Tennessee Vascular Associates can help. With over 50 years of combined experience treating varicose veins, they offer a variety of treatments to comprehensively treat the underlying medical concerns associated with varicose veins, while producing a cosmetically pleasing result. Convenient, office-based procedures such as radiofrequency ablation, foam and cosmetic sclerotherapy, and ambulatory phlebectomy are routinely performed at both Franklin office locations, oftentimes with patients returning to work the same or next day.
Radiofrequency ablation is a minimally invasive treatment for varicose veins. This 20-30-minute procedure utilizes heat generated by a radiofrequency catheter to close malfunctioning veins, rerouting blood into healthier veins.
Sclerotherapy is a quick and pain-free way to treat varicose and spider veins, which involves injecting a solution directly into the veins. This solution causes the veins to scar, forcing blood to be rerouted to healthier veins. The collapsed vein is reabsorbed into surrounding tissue and eventually fades.
Ambulatory phlebectomy involves individual removal of varicose veins through very tiny skin incisions, typically performed on large clusters of varicose veins with minimal recovery time. Because only very small 1-2mm incisions are needed, an excellent cosmetic result can be accomplished with minimal pain and discomfort.
Says Dr. Derek de Grijs, a surgeon with Middle Tennessee Vascular Associates, “The treatment of varicose and spider veins is something people tend to put off for many years for a variety of reasons. By the time outward signs of underlying venous insufficiency, such as bulging varicose veins or clusters or spider veins become obvious, patients have typically been dealing with the subtler symptoms of pain, heaviness and swelling for many years. These are problems that can be fixed in most cases with minimally invasive, office-based procedures that require very little, if any, downtime. I would encourage anyone with any of the above signs of venous insufficiency to have your legs evaluated by a medical professional with the hope of curtailing worsening of unsightly varicose and spider veins, as well as more serious underlying medical concerns.” MidTNVascular.com
