Spider vein treatment (varicose veins)
Content
Description
Varicose veins are dilated veins that appear mostly on the legs. Spider veins are small varicose veins appearing as red, blue or purple webs.
They are caused by improper function of the venous valves, so that blood accumulates in the veins and they subsequently thicken and widen.
In the early stages they are only visible as bluish spider webs, later they become thicker and eventually they can cause varicose leg pain (hence the name varicose veins) and a feeling of heavy and tired legs. Swelling of the lower limbs occurs.
Untreated varicose veins can lead to the formation of ulcers (venous ulcer) of the skin.
Facts
- No anesthesia or local anesthesia
- Outpatient procedure/One-day surgery
- Procedure lasts about 1 hour
- Recovery in 2 days
Causes of varicose veins are:
- Genetic load
- Jobs with a lack of physical activity, lack of exercise
- Standing for long periods of time (during work)
- Overweight and smoking
- Inappropriate footwear and clothing
- They also appear during pregnancy
We distinguish the following types of varicose veins:
- 1. Type are spider veins with a diameter of up to 1 mm - they can be seen as blue-violet colored veins
- 2. Type of reticular varicose veins - thickening of veins up to 1-3 mm, bluish color
- 3. Type consists of trunk varicose veins - thick, enlarged veins that rise to the surface
Procedures on the superficial venous system can only be performed if the deep venous system of the limbs is patent and in order.
The procedure is therefore not suitable for patients with deep vein thrombosis of the limbs - therefore an examination of the patency of the deep venous system using ultrasound (sonography of the lower limbs) is necessary.
As a conservative therapy, the wearing of compression stockings is applied. A specialist doctor (angiologist, vascular surgeon) may prescribe drugs to support the vascular wall (venotonics).
- Spider veins are successfully treated with a laser.
- Sclerotherapy (sclerotization) is suitable for the treatment of reticular varicose veins or spider veins on the lower limbs. A sclerotizing solution (liquid or foam) is injected with a fine needle, which closes the veins. It is an outpatient procedure without the need for anesthesia.
- Larger varicose veins can be treated with an intravascular laser (endovascular laser).
- Large varicose veins can also be removed by surgical extractions. These are miniphlebectomy and microphlebectomy. These are already a major procedure with the presence of slight bleeding and bruising.
- Radiofrequency ablation of varicose veins is performed under local anesthesia, while the inserted catheter closes the veins using heat (120 ˚C) generated by radiofrequency waves (radiofrequency thermoablation).
- Trunk varicose veins are treated under general anesthesia by a vascular surgeon who removes varicose veins (the part of vein affected by valvular insufficiency) by means of varicose vein stripping - dissection and removal of the vessel. Incapacity for work lasts 2 weeks. Compression stockings must be worn and stitches are removed after 14 days.
After the procedure, it is usually necessary to take a 20-minute walk and the limb is either bandaged with a bandage or compressed with an elastic stocking (for 2 days to a week - depending on the extent of the procedure) as a prevention of thromboembolic disease.
The treated area may be sensitive to the touch and rough, but these symptoms usually subside within 2 days.
Recovery with sufficient movement (walking, not sports) is important.
