Most likely, we all have people in our environment who are bothered by varicose veins in their legs. Due to dissatisfaction with the appearance of our legs, as summer approaches, we again hear fears that the beloved dress will continue to hang in the closet untouched, and the bathing season will be closed again. This cosmetic disease should not cause discomfort and prevent you from enjoying your usual hobbies, because if you treat varicose veins in time, you can return to your normal lifestyle on the same day! Doctor speaks more about varicose veins and its treatment methods. angiosurgeon Martynas Laukaitis, who answers your most frequently asked questions.
How often do people get varicose veins? Do women or men get sick more often? At what age?
According to various scientific studies, up to 30% of people can suffer from varicose veins. people, i.e. i.e. every third to fourth person in the population may have a symptomatic disease or asymptomatic changes. Varicose veins occur more often in women. Varicose veins can appear at any age, because the disease tends to progress, so it is often noticed with time.
What factors influence the appearance of varicose veins, or enlarged veins?
The already mentioned female gender, as well as heredity. Other factors that increase the pressure in the venous system and promote varicose veins are pregnancy, standing for a long time – for example, constant standing work, age, smoking, obesity, lack of physical activity. The appearance of varicose veins can also be influenced by trauma or previous inflammation.
What symptoms should people see an angiosurgeon for?
You can consult a vascular surgeon if you feel leg fatigue, swimming, a feeling of heaviness, swelling, or simply when superficial veins become visible. Patients often apply for cosmetic indications – after the appearance of fine capillaries in the skin, which cause discomfort.
What can happen if varicose veins are not treated?
Varicose veins tend to progress, so without treatment, superficial venous nodes increase, skin changes progress, and symptoms intensify.
What complications can untreated varicose veins cause?
Varicose veins rarely cause serious complications. Inflammation of superficial veins with thrombosis, called thrombophlebitis, can occur more often than in healthy people, but this complication is usually benign, resolves with medication and is not life-threatening. In the presence of chronic varicose veins, difficult-to-heal ulcers may develop in the legs, which require more effort to heal.
What is considered when choosing the right method for treating varicose veins? (treatment methods: phlebectomy, bioglue treatment, laser phlebectomy, sclerotherapy)
Before choosing a treatment, it is always necessary to perform an echoscopic examination, assess the state of the venous valves and other pathology, and select the most appropriate treatment method for each patient according to his condition and expectations. In the case of superficial vein disease, the first treatment method is almost always laser vein surgery, less often open vein surgery, or vein gluing with special glue. To remove smaller veins, or in case of obstacles to surgical treatment for a variety of reasons, sclerotherapy is used – drug injections into veins or capillaries, the effect of which causes the blood vessels to decay over the course of a month.
What are the contraindications for each varicose vein treatment procedure?
The risks of superficial vein treatment procedures are generally low, and the rare patient cannot undergo any invasive treatment. Contraindications are pregnancy and breastfeeding, allergies to drugs used during procedures, acute diseases – inflammations, infections. Even if you are unable to perform the procedures, varicose veins can often be effectively treated by applying a compression stocking.
Can the time of year (seasonality) influence the treatment of varicose veins?
Slightly – it is recommended to wear a compression sock after almost all treatment procedures. This can cause discomfort in hot weather, so more patients are opting for cooler times of the year.
After varicose vein treatment procedures, is special care, hospitalization necessary, or should active leisure activities be abandoned?
With laser surgery, patients go home the same day. Care after the operation is not complicated, it is not necessary to change bandages often, and there are no sutures. You should refrain from active sports for a week until the wounds heal. Sclerotherapy is performed in an outpatient setting, so it takes up to an hour, but often requires several injections rather than one procedure.
Is there pain during each procedure?
During the operation, pain medication is injected around the operated veins, so patients feel several needle pricks. Sclerotherapy is performed with very thin needles, so the pain can be compared to a mosquito bite.
Can the disease recur after treatment?
Yes, varicose veins tend to recur and progress. According to scientific studies, up to 50% of varicose veins reappear within 10 years after surgical laser treatment. patients. Sometimes it should be considered as a renewal, sometimes as a progression of the disease in other venous trunks. Sclerotherapy may also eventually need to be repeated. The advantage is that even if the disease relapses, the same treatment methods can be applied repeatedly.
What preventive measures do you offer patients who want to avoid varicose veins?
What preventive measures do you offer patients who want to avoid varicose veins?
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