SPIDER VEINS AND VARICOSE VEINS NEW METHODS OF TREATMENT INCLUDE LASP RADIO WAVES LASER AND FOAM SCLEROTHERAPY HOW ARE SPIDER VEINS TREATED

It used to be that doctors primarily used vein stripping to remove varicose veins. There are several methods to treat varicose veins and spider veins. The newer vein treatment methods tend to have less trauma and faster recovery times. Some of the newer varicose vein treatment methods include radio wave ablation and laser. Doctors at UCLA are pioneering a varicose vein method called light assisted stab phlebectomy. Currently, various procedures are used to treat varicose veins and the related spider veins, depending on their size. In addition to powered stab phlebectomy, other methods include laser and radiofrequency treatments, which employ heat or energy to seal off veins; vein ligation and stripping, surgical procedures that involving the tying off or removal of veins; and sclerotherapy, a method that involves the injection of a solution.





Veins have one-way valves composed of two leaflets that close together when filled with blood. The closed valve of the vein prevents blood from flowing back into the leg. Varicose veins have valves that become damaged and fail to function properly (become incompetent) blood can become static in the leg. If the valve is not closing properly blood falls back down and causes pressure sideways. You see varicose veins.

Doctor Says Not Treating Varicose Veins Leading to Complications

Click to see videos of varicose vein treatment







Tthe light assisted stab phlebectomy technique for varicose veins combines two current varicose vein removal methods, powered phlebectomy and stab phlebectomy, which excise veins through a small incision in the skin. This technique for varicose veins is especially used on branch varicose veins in the thighs,calves and ankles has been used together with the more established laser procedures and also radio frequency ablation of varicose veins.



Tthe LASP light assisted stab procedure for varicose veins begins with a tiny incision near the varicose veins. The surgeon threads a slender tube with a light source at its tip underneath the vein cluster, and an injection of saline, lidocaine (anesthetic) and epinephrine is used to help enlarge the veins so they are easily visible. The lights in the operating room are turned off, allowing the surgeon to see the veins illuminated under the skin. This technique allows maximum visibility – and helps ensure that all the varicose veins are identified and treated.

Click to Read about Foam Varicose Vein Treatment



Ntext, the surgeon uses a modified crochet hook to grab the vein and pull it through the tiny nick in the skin. Using a gentle circular motion, the surgeon pulls the vein from the skin, gradually working the entire vein free. Further tiny incisions are used as needed to remove any remaining veins. The surgeon then cleans out any blood that remains in the channel that held the vein.



The empty vein channels are flushed with solution to help collapse them and prevent bruising and hematomas from any residual blood remaining in the channels. No sutures are used; this allows for continued drainage if needed. A compression dressing is applied to the affected area, and within an hour, the patient goes home with instructions to elevate the leg for 48 hours. The resulting scars look like small freckles. The procedure is done with the patient mildly sedated but awake. No sutures are used; instead, a compression dressing is applied, and the patient may go home usually one hour after the procedure. Patients are instructed to elevate the leg for 48 hours. The resulting scars from surgery appear as small freckles.



According to Dr.Lawrence at UCLA, LASP may provide lower residual varicose vein occurrence due to the greater ease in identifying the veins in the operating room through transillumination. Between 2004 and 2006, 268 patients received LASP treatment at UCLA, 49 of them underwent LASP alone, and 184 had it combined with another varicose vein-removal procedure. Researchers followed up with patients roughly a year after their procedures and found few early postoperative complications, such as infection, hematoma formation or severe pain requiring additional pain prescriptions. The method also employs transillumination, in which a light source is placed beneath the skin to help highlight the veins during the procedure.



In addition, Lawrence has developed new, minimally invasive surgical instruments to remove the veins. "This new, sutureless technique allows complete and rapid varicose branch vein removal with few missed varicose veins, little bruising and an excellent cosmetic result," said Lawrence, author of a study of LASP and director of the Gonda Vascular Center at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.

Non-invasive technique uses light as guide to effectively treat varicose veins