Varicose and Spider Veins

Varicose and spider veins occur when blood returning to the heart pools inside a vein causing congestion and enlargement of the vein.

Varicose veins are swollen, dark purple or blue, and often look like large ropes or a cluster of grapes.

Spider veins are small, thread like veins resembling a spider web that lie close to the skin.

In many cases, varicose and spider veins may cause no symptoms, but often look unattractive. In other cases, they can become painful with complaints of aching, burning, itching, or throbbing in the veins, or development of heaviness, tiredness, cramping or swelling in the leg. A thorough exam of the legs including an ultrasound will confirm the diagnosis of varicose or spider veins. Since most varicose and spider veins pose no serious health risk, treatments are generally aimed at eliminating the unsightly appearance of the veins and improving symptoms.

While compression stockings offer some improvement of symptoms, there are effective outpatient treatment options available to remove affected veins including:

• sclerotherapy (injection therapy that will cause spider or small varicose vein to collapse and fade)
• surface laser treatment (for spider veins)
• phlebectomy (removal of varicose vein through tiny incision(s)
• endovenous ablation (obliteration of larger vein with radio-frequency or laser placed inside the vein), and
• transilluminated powered phlebectomy (removal of varicose veins with scopes).

For more severe varicose vein problems, operative options are also available.