Dr. Vincent Gardner, The Vein Institute at Southern Surgical Arts; member, Chattanooga-Hamilton County Medical SocietyQ: I have varicose veins. For a while they were just unsightly, but now my legs have started to ache. What’s wrong?
A: Most people think their visible veins are a problem when the real issue is high pressure in one or more of the superficial veins in the legs, which are deeper and less obvious to the eye. To treat your pain and get to the root issue, I recommend seeing a vein specialist for a complete examination and diagnostic ultrasound to locate the source of your problem then recommend the best treatment plan. In your case, treatment may being with a minimally invasive therapy called endovenous thermal ablation to eliminate the main pressure points in your diseased veins. Once this is done, bulging varicose veins can be removed using incisions as small as 2 to 3 mm in diameter. Finally, you can undergo a procedure called sclerotherapy to eliminate the smaller veins.
– Dr. Vincent Gardner, The Vein Institute at Southern Surgical Arts; member, Chattanooga-Hamilton County Medical Society
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