What Causes Varicose Veins?
Varicose veins can have a variety of underlying causes. The most common risk factors for varicose veins include:
- Female hormones
- Obesity
- Pregnancy
- Long periods of sitting or standing still
- Changes due to aging
- Heredity
Women develop varicose veins more often than men. Female hormones can cause changes in the walls of blood vessels, and pregnancy increases your total blood volume and puts extra pressure on leg veins.
How are Varicose Veins Treated?
Dr. Dohner treats varicose veins with several treatment methods. Sometimes more than one treatment will be used to give you the best resolution of your varicose vein problem.
Endovenous Laser Treatments (EVLT)
This laser treatment sends energy directly into the feeder veins that cause your problem varicose veins. This energy causes the vein wall to collapse and cut off blood flow to the varicose vein. The vein will fade over time, although combining EVLT with ambulatory phlebectomy will often improve your results.
Ambulatory Phlebectomy
The varicose vein is removed from under the skin during this treatment using special tools. The tools only require an opening the size of a freckle to remove the vein. This treatment works when used alone, but it can also remove unsightly veins after EVLT has closed them off.
Varithena and Ultrasound-Guided Sclerotherapy
These methods works well for hard-to-reach or stubbornly recurring varicose veins. Using ultrasound to locate and precisely target the problem vein, Dr. Dohner will inject a sclerosing medication. This foam causes the veins to seal shut and collapse. This prevents the abnormal backflow to occur.