VARICOSE VEINS WITH LASER
What is Varicose Veins?
Varicose veins happen when the veins under the skin of the legs get bigger. Blood travels from the legs to the heart through the veins. Veins have valves that make sure blood flows, even when gravity pulls down. Because these valves are not working as well as they should, the blood in the veins can not move forward and starts to pool. Because of this, the veins get bigger, and this is called varicose veins.
How to Diagnose Varicose Veins?
The first step in figuring out if someone has varicose veins is for a doctor to look at them. But a Doppler ultrasound film of the leg veins is needed to confirm this diagnosis and figure out how to treat the patient. Venography is only done in very rare situations.
What are the Symptoms of Varicose Veins?
- Leg pain that keeps getting worse
- Especially when you stand for a long time, these aches and pains get worse.
- Leg veins that can be seen
- Bruises appear on the legs
- Veins that have started to kink and can be seen
- When you stand for a long time, your feet and even legs may swell.
- Over time, the ankles get cuts and bruises that do not heal.
What Causes Varicose Veins?
With the help of their valves, the veins in the legs move the blood up. Also, when the muscles in the legs tighten, the veins are squeezed, which makes the blood move up the body faster. When the valves in the veins wear out, the veins get bigger and the blood in them can clot in the vein. Varicose veins are usually
- People with a genetic predisposition
- Those with a sedentary lifestyle
- People who work a lot because of their job
- People living in hot climates
- Those who use excessive cigarettes and alcohol
- Certain liver conditions
- Varicose veins after pregnancy
Who Sees Varicose Veins?
- Women have it more often than men. Women’s hormones cause their blood vessels to lose their elasticity and change shape more quickly.
- Still, being a woman makes you more likely to get pregnant, and the risk is even higher for women who have already given birth. By putting pressure on the veins inside the abdomen, enlargement is caused by the uterus growing both hormonally and inside the abdomen.
- Birth control pills and medicines that put off menopause
- There are genetic causes for every disease.
- People who have to stand for a long time on the job
- People who live in warm places
- Varicose veins are more likely to happen as you get older. Half of people between the ages of 35 and 45 have them, but 90% of people 75 and older do.
- People who smoke and drink a lot
- When it comes to fat people
- People who have constipation all the time
How are Varicose Veins Treated?
Depending on how bad your varicose veins are, there are different ways to treat them. Also, the health of the other veins in the legs, or the deep-seated vein system, is the most important thing that determines the treatment method. To figure this out, a Doppler ultrasonography exam of the veins in the legs should be done and evaluated. About putting into groups;
Non-Surgical Varicose Veins Treatment Techniques
In all of these cases, the surgeon first looks at the patient’s condition and then chooses the treatment based on what he/she finds.
Varicose Veins Treatment with Laser
There are two ways to use a laser to treat spider veins.
– Intravenous Method
This method is better for varicose veins that have gotten bigger on the skin and look bad. It uses a laser that is similar to the laser used for laser epilation. You put it on your skin. It does not need any anesthesia, and once it is done, the patient can go back to his normal life.
– Intravenous Laser Varicose Treatment (Endovenous Laser Treatment – EVLA)
The operating room is the place where this method is done. It is used most often on people who have venous insufficiency. The vein is found with the help of an ultrasound and a local anesthetic or sometimes sedation. A laser fiber is then sent into the vein with the help of a needle. The vein is burned from the inside and destroyed.
Radiofrequency
It is the same way that lasers are used to treat varicose veins. Again, a radiofrequency probe is put into the vein. This is different from the laser because it uses radio waves. Over time, it has become clear that the laser works better, so this method is used less and less.
Foam Treatment ( Sclerotherapy )
It is made to look good, especially on people with superficial capillary disease who do not have venous insufficiency. It is a way to freeze the inside of a vein by inserting a thin needle into a capillary and filling it with foam. It can not be used in vessels with a wide opening. But laser treatment of varicose veins, which is done outside the vein, has been found to be more effective than this method.
Varicose Veins Treatment with Surgery
Even though surgery is not the most popular way to treat varicose veins anymore because of how quickly technology is changing, it is still done in some clinics.
Stripping Venectomy
With general anesthesia or spinal anesthesia, the twisted vein from the ankle is found. Then, the continuation of this vein at the groin level is found, and the branches in this area are cut. The wire sent from the ankle level through the vein is found through the groin, and the vein through which this wire passes is completely removed. This method is no longer used because it leads to large cuts in the groin as well as cuts in other places, like the ankle and knee, and has both cosmetic and surgical risks.
Pack Excision:
It is surgery to remove large, curved veins under the knee. This is usually done at the same time as stripping surgery. It is not used as often as it used to be because it leaves too many scars and has the risks of surgery. Also, technology has made it easier to do things.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_custom_heading text=”Ask Dr. Ahmet Bekin” use_theme_fonts=”yes”]