Varicose Vein Clinic in TX Discusses Varicose Veins and Spider Veins

Vein Treatment Clinic Texas is a highly reputable varicose vein clinic in TX. Over the years, we’ve successfully treated hundreds of patients suffering from varicose veins, spider veins, and various other vein diseases. However, most patients lack a general awareness of varicose veins and spider veins — some mistakenly assume that they’re only cosmetic issues, some assume that varicose vein treatments are surgical and dangerous (they’re not). In this article, the vein doctors in our varicose vein clinic in TX answer some of the most common questions about varicose veins and spider veins. Hopefully, we can disabuse our readers some myths and false assumptions about vein disease.

We’ll start with the basics — what are varicose veins and spider veins? Both varicose veins and spider veins are abnormal blood vessels visible on your skin. Healthy veins run in straight lines and remain under your skin, but varicose veins and spider veins are diseased and dilated veins with excess blood.

Spider veins are a dense cluster of blood vessels that look like a network of spider webs and appear on the surface of the skin. Varicose veins are larger blood vessels that bulge out of the surface of the skin and look like a twisted and knotted mass of ropes. Varicose veins and spider veins usually appear in your legs, feet, thighs, and buttocks, though they can also appear in other parts of your body.

Most people believe that varicose veins and spider veins are merely cosmetic issues that may cause some discomfort but not much more. That’s completely untrue — varicose veins and spider veins can be incredibly dangerous because they’re often symptomatic of venous insufficiency. In some cases, spider veins may be entirely cosmetic. However, varicose veins are always caused by vein disease.

Healthy veins have controlling mechanisms called vein valves that facilitate smooth unidirectional blood flow towards the heart. Venous insufficiency is a condition in which your vein valves collapse or malfunction, which causes blood to flow backward due to gravity, accumulating in your leg veins. Over time, as more blood accumulates in your leg veins, you suffer from vein dilation and the eventual formation of varicose veins and spider veins.

The initial signs and symptoms of venous insufficiency may seem benign — frequent leg cramps, restless legs, leg pain, leg heaviness, throbbing leg veins, etc. However, if left untreated, varicose veins and spider veins can also lead to dangerous complications. As varicose veins are dilated blood vessels, they’re prone to bursting, leading to uncontrollable bleeding for which you have to be taken to the emergency room.

Over time, you also suffer from other vein problems and complications. The lack of blood circulation in your legs leads to fluid accumulation, leading to edema and swollen ankles. The breakdown of blood cells leads to skin disease. And the lack of effective circulation prevents wounds from healing, leading to leg ulcers or non-healing wounds. Finally, the accumulated blood in your veins may clot, leading to deep vein thrombosis. Over time, you may also suffer from a pulmonary embolism as the blood clots travel to your lungs.

Radiofrequency ablation is widely hailed as the best varicose vein treatment. During the procedure, the vein doctors channel thermal energy into the diseased saphenous vein through a catheter inserted under ultrasound guidance. The thermal energy collapses the diseased saphenous vein, restoring blood circulation to the heart. Radiofrequency ablation is the best varicose vein treatment because it causes no pain, either during or after the procedure, and it’s eligible for insurance coverage.

Endovenous laser ablation is a minimally invasive varicose vein treatment in which the vein doctor uses laser energy — channeled through a laser fiber — to collapse the diseased saphenous vein. Endovenous laser ablation is just as effective as radiofrequency ablation, but it causes more post-procedural discomfort.

Ambulatory phlebectomy is a cosmetic varicose vein treatment in which the vein doctors extract the superficial varicose veins through incisions on the skin. This procedure is used to restore the aesthetic beauty of your legs after the primary varicose vein treatment.

Vein Treatment Clinic is one of the most reputable state-of-the-art vein clinics, and we have some of the country’s finest vein doctors. Our vein clinic is located in Uptown Houston, close to The Galleria shopping mall, and we’ve got a perfect track record with minimally invasive varicose vein treatments. For more information, please schedule a consultation with our medical center today.