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Vein Conditions, Procedures and Care 

Consult a Vein Specialist to Get the Best Care and Treatment for Your Needs

Our venous procedures are performed on an outpatient basis at Prescott Medical Imaging. We use only local anesthesia, and most procedures take less than an hour.

Frequently Asked Questions

 

Diagnosing Vein Conditions

Venous Insufficiency

Venous insufficiency is a common condition resulting from decreased blood flow from the veins in the leg up to the heart, causing backflow and pooling of blood in the leg veins. Normally, one-way valves in the veins keep blood flowing toward the heart (against the flow of gravity). When the valves become weak and don’t close properly, they allow blood to flow downward, a condition called reflux. The blood travels back into the veins that branch out toward the surface, causing them to stretch and become painful. These enlarged, swollen blood vessels are known as varicose veins and are a direct result of increased pressure from reflux. The most common location of symptomatic reflux is the great saphenous vein, which runs down the inside of the thigh past the knee, followed by the short saphenous vein, which runs down the back of the calf below the knee. Reflux is diagnosed by a special ultrasound which can be ordered during a consultation with our vein specialists.

Learn more about venous insufficiency

 

Procedures for Veins

Radiofrequency Vein Ablation

For those suffering from varicose veins (bulging veins), reticular veins (veins feeding spider veins), and spider veins, a vein ablation would be performed to reduce or remove these troublesome veins. A vein ablation is a minimally-invasive treatment done as an outpatient procedure through ultrasound guidance. It is essentially pain free, needing only local anesthesia. The interventional radiologist will insert a thin catheter into the vein and guide it up the non-working vein. Radiofrequency energy is applied to the inside of the vein, which painlessly heats the vein and seals the vein closed. Our vein doctors use the VNUS Closure technique, with more information provided at VNUS.com. Once the vein is ablated, the body will redirect blood to healthy leg veins. When there is less blood flowing backward down the leg, the unsightly varicose veins, reticular veins, and spider veins may shrink and become less noticeable. This is an effective treatment for varicose veins that provides pain relief with a quick recovery time.

Learn more about radiofrequency vein ablation

 

Treatment for Varicose Veins and Other Vein Conditions

Ambulatory Phlebectomy

There are some instances when a vein ablation was performed, and the varicose veins remain visible or were not caused by reflux (when the blood flows downward instead of up toward the heart) in any of the larger leg veins. Another minimally-invasive technique that our vein specialists use to treat varicose or reticular veins is to perform an ambulatory phlebectomy, or the removal of the vein. The vein removal is done by making tiny incisions using a special set of tools, including a vein hook (which looks like a tiny crochet needle). The procedure is performed under local anesthesia, and typically takes under an hour. Following the procedure, the affected part of the leg is wrapped for several days, followed by two weeks of wearing compression stockings for varicose veins to help improve healing.

Injection Sclerotherapy

Sclerotherapy can be used to treat some small varicose veins and nearly all spider veins. An extremely fine needle is inserted into the small blood vessel and a solution is injected which causes the vein to shrink and eventually be absorbed by the body. Sclerotherapy can be used to treat some small varicose veins and nearly all spider veins to provide varicose pain relief and to reduce their appearance. Our varicose vein doctor will insert an extremely fine needle into the small blood vessel to inject a solution that will cause the vein to shrink and eventually be absorbed by the body. The number of injections required to perform the procedure will be determined by the number of veins that will need the treatment. It is recommended to wear compression stockings for varicose veins to help expedite efficient healing from this treatment.

The Vascular and Interventional Specialists of Prescott are highly trained and skilled in minimally-invasive procedures and assessing their patients for the best outcome.

Contact us to discuss your symptoms and the best varicose vein treatment options for you.