Millions of people suffer from varicose veins in their legs. Although most people know about varicose veins, few understand the underlying cause and the current treatment of this condition. New and effective non-invasive treatments are now available for the therapy of varicose veins without the need for painful surgery.

Approximately 40% of women and 25% of men have varicose veins that typically appear as bulging rope-like cords on their thighs or lower legs. Smaller red or purple veins on the surface of the skin are commonly known as spider veins. Heredity is the most important cause of varicose veins. Women are more likely to develop varicose veins than men. Both pregnancy and aging are important factors that can lead to varicose veins. Many other factors may worsen the symptoms of varicose veins while not directly being responsible for the cause of the disease. These include prolonged standing, obesity, and use of birth control pills and post-menopausalhormonal replacement.

People with varicose veins may often experience pain, heaviness, tiredness, burning sensation and swelling in their legs that usually become worse at the end of the day. If left untreated, varicose veins can lead to serious complications such as blood clots, non-healing wounds at the ankle, and bleeding.

Veins in the legs are responsible for bringing blood back to the heart. In the standing position, blood in the veins has to flow up against gravity to get to the heart. This is made possible by one-way valves that are inside the veins allowing blood to flow only towards the heart and not away from the heart. In patients with varicose veins, these one-way valves are non-functional resulting in back-flow (away from the heart) in the veins known as venous reflux. A superficial vein called the Greater Saphenous Vein (GSV) is often affected by venous reflux in patients with varicose veins. In the past, in order to successfully treat the symptoms of varicose veins, the GSV had to be stripped (removed) or ligated (tied) surgically.

Fortunately, there is now a safe, effective, and non-invasive technique known as endovenous ablation for the treatment of varicose veins that is quickly replacing conventional surgical treatment. The procedure takes about 45 minutes to perform under local anesthesia where a tiny fiber is inserted into the GSV through a small needle stick around the level of the knee by a qualified surgeon. The fiber is powered by laser or RF energy that will cause the malfunctioning GSV to shut down. This technique achieves the same result as surgical stripping without any painful incision or scar; and patients typically return to normal activities within 1-2 days.

After the endovenous ablation procedure, some patients may choose to undergo adjunctive injection sclerotherapy treatment to achieve optimal cosmetic results. Sclerotherapy simply involves injecting a chemical directly into the vein causing it to close, and it works particularly well for small varicose veins and spider veins. Finally, there is now a way to get rid of those unsightly veins along with their symptoms through an effective non-surgical approach.