Lasers have been a popular treatment for many cosmetic procedures over the years, including facial resurfacing and removing hair and tattoos. Lasers also are an effective means for removing the underlying causes of varicose veins, specifically venous insufficiency. Clinical studies have demonstrated that laser treatments can have exceptional results in eliminating unsightly veins and treatments typically require just 30 minutes of your time to begin to achieve the youthful appearance you seek.
What Causes Varicose Veins?
The cause of varicose leg veins tends to be an incompetent saphenous vein. What that means is that one of the veins responsible for transporting blood up from the toes and back to the heart has poorly working valves (also called incompetent valves). These valves are designed to allow blood to travel in one direction. When they are incompetent, blood backs up and increases pressure in the legs, causing veins to bulge.
What Does a Laser Do for Varicose Veins?
Laser vein treatment is a minimally invasive procedure, which provides excellent results in a minimally invasive way. The laser works by damaging the walls of the vein with the incompetent valves, causing the body to begin a healing process. It’s a pain-free process and during the next few days or weeks, the incompetent veins shrink, the pressure is removed from the bulging veins and the blood is rerouted through “normal” veins.
Laser treatments for veins are appropriate for men and women, whether light skinned or dark skinned. The only patients who might not be good candidates are patients using blood thinners, patients with dark suntans or photosensitivity disorders, patients with diabetes, patients with bleeding disorders or patients taking photosensitizing medications. However, all these issues can be addressed during our consultation portion of the exam. All of our doctors at the Vein Institute of New Jersey are board certified vascular doctors who are here to answer your questions and help you on the way to more beautiful looking legs.
Laser Treatment Benefits
In the past, spider veins and varicose veins have been successfully treated with more conventional methods such as vein stripping and ligation. Unlike laser treatments, these procedures are often painful and can have adverse affects during and after treatment.
Laser vein treatments also require less down time than traditional vein removal procedures and have a shorter recovery period. Here at the Vein Institute of New Jersey, we and our patients have been very pleased with the results of these laser procedures.
For varicose veins and diffuse spider veins, endovenous laser therapy (EVLT) is becoming the standard laser therapy. Using ultrasound guidance, the endovenous laser fiber is passed through a catheter directly into the vein, ensuring accurate delivery of the laser energy.
Learn more about our state-of-the-art vein treatment centers and the care you will receive from us.