The World Can Be A Scary Place

If you have unsightly and painful varicose veins in your legs, you've probably done a lot of research on potential treatment options. Thankfully, there are now multiple non-invasive treatments available for eliminating varicose veins—for a long time, full-fledged surgery was the only approach. However, the wealth of options now available means that it can be difficult to determine which one will be the best fit for you. All non-invasive treatments revolve around destroying the varicose veins—they will no longer be visible underneath your skin, and blood flow will be immediately routed through other veins in your leg. In the past, thermal ablation (whether using laser or radiofrequency waves) was the most common way of eliminating varicose veins. Thermal ablation is very effective, but it can cause unnecessary damage compared to newer procedures.

One new procedure that's available for eliminating varicose veins is adhesive ablation, in which a cyanoacrylate adhesive is used to completely seal off a varicose vein. With no blood flow, the vein will then collapse. You'll no longer be able to see the vein underneath your skin. To learn three reasons why this procedure is often the best choice for noninvasive treatment of varicose veins, read on.

Quick Recovery Time

While all non-invasive treatments for varicose veins feature a quicker recovery time for surgery, adhesive ablation's recovery time is the shortest of them all. The adhesive doesn't cause any damage to your veins, so nothing needs to heal after the procedure. The majority of people undergoing adhesive ablation will be able to return to work the next day.

In addition, most people won't need to wear compression socks while recovering from the procedure. With other non-invasive treatments for varicose veins, you'll need to wear compression socks while your veins and the tissue surrounding them heals. If you find wearing compression socks to be an annoyance, then adhesive ablation is the best treatment option for you.

Minimal Post-Procedure Pain

Other non-invasive treatments for varicose veins, such as laser ablation and radiofrequency ablation, can result in pain and bruising after the procedure. The procedures are painless while they're being performed due to the local anesthetic administered during the procedure, but most people will experience pain and soreness once the anesthetic wears off. The pain is due to the damage that these procedures cause to your veins and the surrounding tissues. The pain is short-lived, but it can be annoying while it persists. People who undergo adhesive ablation typically won't experience pain after the procedure, since the adhesive doesn't cause any damage to your tissues.

Less Risk of Complications

Another benefit of adhesive ablation is that it has a very low rate of complications. Other procedures destroy your varicose veins instead of simply sealing them off with adhesive, so there's a risk that other tissues will be damaged during the procedure. Nerves near your veins, for example, can be damaged by the high heat of radiofrequency ablation or laser ablation. With adhesive ablation, there's no risk of this happening. In addition, adhesive ablation is performed using ultrasound guidance, which lets your physician ensure that the catheter is securely located in the vein before the adhesive is administered. As a result, there's very little risk of the adhesive being administered in the wrong location or leaking outside of the vein.

If you have varicose veins that are unsightly or painful, find a clinic in your area that offers adhesive ablation for varicose veins. The procedure is relatively new, so not all clinics offer this service. However, it's typically the overall best option for non-invasive treatment of varicose veins, as this procedure causes the least amount of damage to your veins and the tissues surrounding them.