Varicose Veins

Varicose veins affect up to 30% of American adults. They typically aren’t dangerous, but if you have diabetes, venous insufficiency, or heart disease, varicose veins can raise your risk of severe health problems, including blood clots. At Laser Surgical Solutions RGV PLLC, the vascular surgeons and wound care specialists provide minimally invasive care for varicose veins. Call the office in McAllen or Rio Grande City, Texas, to schedule varicose vein treatment, or book our appointment online today.

What are varicose veins?

Varicose veins are swollen blood vessels just beneath the skin’s surface. They can form anywhere in the body but commonly affect the lower extremities, including the legs and feet.

What are the symptoms of varicose veins?

Varicose vein symptoms include:

• Swollen, ropelike veins that are blue or purple
• Heavy feeling in your legs
• Leg swelling
• Itching
• Leg pain or aching

Sometimes, varicose veins cause skin discoloration. In severe cases, they can cause slow-healing ulcers (open wounds) on the legs and feet.

Should I see a doctor about varicose veins?

Make an appointment at Laser Surgical Solutions RGV, PLLC, if your varicose veins cause leg pain or swelling that affects your mobility. This is particularly true if your symptoms don’t improve with at-home treatments like elevating your legs and wearing compression stockings.

How are varicose veins diagnosed?

Your Laser Surgical Solutions RGV, PLLC, provider reviews your medical records and asks about your symptoms, including when you first noticed the veins, what they feel like, and if your symptoms worsen during activities like standing and walking.

They examine your legs and feet, determining the varicose veins’ location, size, and appearance. They also feel the veins while you sit and stand. They gently press (palpate) your skin to identify sensitive areas.

A visual exam is often enough to confirm a diagnosis. However, your provider might also order a venous ultrasound to examine blood flow through your vessels and determine your blood clot risk.

How are varicose veins treated?

The Laser Surgical Solutions RGV, PLLC, team takes an integrative, minimally invasive approach to treating varicose veins. They could suggest:

• Elevating your legs above your heart 
• Wearing compression stockings to ease pain and improve circulation
• Injection therapy (sclerotherapy) to destroy varicose veins and increase circulation
• Laser therapy (endovenous laser ablation) to close off varicose veins
• Ambulatory phlebectomy, a procedure that removes varicose veins

The team might recommend vein ligation and stripping if you have several varicose veins. Your provider ties off the affected veins during this procedure to stop blood pooling. They then remove them to prevent the varicose veins from coming back.

These treatments present few risks and have proven track records of success.

Call the nearest Laser Surgical Solutions RGV PLLC office to schedule varicose vein treatment, or book your appointment online today.