Varicose Veins

Varicose Veins affect up to 35% of the adult population in the United States. To find relief from leg aches and pains due to these enlarged, twisted veins, Tallahassee Vein & Face Clinic, offers several minimally invasive treatment options. Charles W. Kent, MD, and the vein care team can determine if you’re a candidate for vein closure, sclerotherapy, or other varicose vein treatments. Call Tallahassee Vein & Face Clinic to schedule a diagnostic evaluation or book one online today.

What are varicose veins?

Varicose veins are enlarged veins that develop due to venous insufficiency. When the valve in your vein isn’t working properly, blood can flow in the wrong direction and pool inside the vessel. This blood pooling causes the vein to grow large and twisted.

Your legs are the most common area where varicose veins develop because circulating blood must fight gravity to make its way back to your heart.

Other causes of varicose veins include:

• Obesity
• Pregnancy
• Family history
• Sedentary lifestyle
• Deep vein thrombosis

When do I need treatment for varicose veins?

You can schedule a diagnostic evaluation for varicose veins if you’re unhappy with the way the enlarged veins make your legs look.

The team at Tallahassee Vein & Face Clinic can also treat varicose veins that are causing symptoms. They can evaluate the health of your veins if you’re experiencing symptoms in your legs like:

• Pain
• Itching
• Swelling
• Cramping
• Heaviness
• Changes in skin color

How are varicose veins treated?

There are several treatments for varicose veins that are available at Tallahassee Vein & Face Clinic. Depending on your needs, you might be a candidate for ambulatory phlebectomy or vein closure treatment.

Ambulatory Phlebectomy

An ambulatory phlebectomy is an in-office procedure that requires only small incisions to access the damaged portions of a vein. Your physician inserts a hook through the incisions to pull the vein out and cut off damaged areas of the vein in segments, rather than removing the entire vein.

Vein Closure

Vein closure treatment uses radiofrequency ablation or a medical adhesive to close off damaged veins. The team offers both the VenaSeal™ and the FastClosure™ vein closure systems to quickly treat varicose veins without an extended recovery time and with no visible scars.

Following vein closure, you need to limit strenuous activities and lifting heavy objects for a week.

To prevent additional varicose veins, the medical team may recommend that you wear compression stockings to improve the blood circulation in your legs.