Information for Patients

Causes and treatment options

Varicose Veins

Venous insufficiency is a very common condition resulting from decreased blood flow from the leg veins up to the heart, with pooling of blood in the veins. Normally, one-way valves in the veins keep blood flowing toward the heart, against the force of gravity. When the valves become weak and don’t close properly, they allow blood to flow backward, a condition called reflux. Veins that have lost their valve effectiveness, become elongated, rope-like, bulged, and thickened. These enlarged, swollen vessels are known as varicose veins and are a direct result of increased pressure from reflux. A common cause of varicose veins in the legs is reflux in a thigh vein called the great saphenous, which leads to pooling in the visible varicose vein below.

  • Chronic venous disease of the legs is one of the most common conditions affecting people of all races.
  • Approximately half of the U.S. population has venous disease–50 to 55% of women and 40 to 45% of men. Of these, 20 to 25% of the women and 10 to 15% of men will have visible varicose veins.
  • Varicose veins affect 1 out of 2 people age 50 and older, and 15 to 25% of all adults.

Our interventional radiologists will use duplex ultrasound to assess the venous anatomy, vein valve function, and venous blood flow changes, which can assist in diagnosing venous insufficiency. This will help determine if the patient is a candidate for a minimally invasive treatment, known as vein ablation.

Covered by Most Insurance and Medicare

We are happy to contact your insurance company to verify that your procedure is covered. When you visit us for an initial consultation, we’ll show you the underlying cause of your varicose veins and help determine your insurance company’s eligibility requirements for coverage.

2023-04-20T19:30:22+00:00

VenaSeal

VenaSeal The VenaSeal procedure delivers a small amount of a specially formulated medical adhesive to seal — or close — the diseased vein, rerouting blood to nearby healthy veins and providing symptom relief. The VenaSeal closure system is a safe and effective treatment, offering [...]

2017-12-19T16:22:47+00:00

Vein Ablation Treatment

Vein Ablation Treatment This minimally-invasive treatment is an outpatient procedure performed using ultrasound for imaging guidance. After applying local anesthetic to the vein, the interventional radiologist inserts a thin catheter, about the size of a strand of spaghetti, into the vein and guides it up the [...]

2017-12-19T16:24:24+00:00

Injection Sclerotherapy

Injection Sclerotherapy This procedure can also be used to treat some varicose and nearly all spider veins. An extremely fine needle is used to inject the vein with a solution which shrinks the vein. The procedure itself takes approximately 15 to 30 minutes.The number of [...]

2017-12-19T16:25:23+00:00

Ambulatory Phlebectomy

Ambulatory Phlebectomy Ambulatory phlebectomy is a minimally invasive surgical technique of removing varicose veins on the surface of the legs. It is done in the office under local anesthesia. This procedure involves making tiny punctures or incisions through which the varicose veins are removed. [...]

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