For varicose veins, laser treatment has become a very popular method of removal. Unlike older surgical techniques that involved scalpel incisions and vein removal, surgery with lasers means smaller cuts and less risk of scarring. Some veins can even be treated without any incisions at all.
The basics of laser vein therapy are the same for different types of veins. By setting lasers to a certain wavelength, they can be calibrated to heat up and damage only certain colors. This is the same idea behind tattoo removal, in fact; black ink can be broken down by a laser while the skin remains unharmed. And destroying veins without damaging surrounding tissue means that the vein can be left in place to be reabsorbed by the body.
The precise type of laser treatment you might receive depends on what kind of veins you're having problems with. And if your problems are with more than one type of vein, it's common to receive multiple treatments in order to take care of them individually.
Spider Veins
Spider veins are usually treated through a technique called surface laser treatment. Because they are so close to the surface and so small, a laser can pass right through the thin layers of skin above them. In the amount of time that it takes for the laser to destroy the veins, the skin remains unharmed. The spider veins will still be visible after the treatment, but they fade away over the following weeks as the body absorbs them.
Near-Surface Veins
For medium-sized veins that are near the surface, surface ablation is also common. As long as the skin above the vein is thin enough, the laser can be passed through without any incisions being made. However, the larger the vein, the longer the laser must be focused on it, and that increases the chances of damaging the skin. Depending on how long your doctor thinks it will take to destroy the vein, he or she may choose to treat the vein with endovenous laser therapy instead.
Deep Veins
Endovenous laser therapy is the treatment of choice for deeper varicose veins. These veins can't be reached by a surface laser – there's too much tissue to pass through. Instead, a small incision is made to allow access to the vein. A thin laser-emitting fiber is threaded into the vein, turned on, and slowly pulled out. As it is removed, the laser light it emits destroys the vein from within. The entire procedure requires only local anaesthesia.
Of course, the right treatment for you depends on the particulars of your varicose veins, so be sure to discuss treatment options with a doctor, such as those found at Elite Vein Centers, to understand how best to treat your veins.
Share16 June 2015
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