Veins Specialist

Veins Q & A

Acadiana Vascular Clinic:

Varicose veins refer to a problem where your blood vessels become enlarged, twisted, and discolored. This is due to a failure of a vessel’s one-way valve to keep blood flowing in the right direction.

When blood flow is hindered, blood backs up and pools in areas along the length of the vein. This creates abnormal amounts of pressure on the tissues of the blood vessel, which responds by stretching, twisting, and hardening.

Typically, varicose veins are seen in the lower extremities. While most people see these as a cosmetic problem, varicose veins can lead to more significant problems, including chronic venous insufficiency.

What is chronic venous insufficiency?

Chronic venous insufficiency (CVI) is when inadequate blood flow has advanced to the point that surrounding tissues are starved of oxygen-rich blood. This can cause nerve damage, slow-healing wounds, systemic infection, and tissue death.

What are spider veins and reticular veins?

Spider veins are a mild form of varicose veins. They’re small, red or blue lines that are close to the surface of the skin. They look like a spider web or a branching tree, and can be found on the face as well as the legs.

Reticular veins, or feeder veins, are larger than spider veins but not as enlarged as varicose veins. They involve medium-sized veins, and appear as darkened, enlarged blood vessels.

What treatments are available for varicose veins?

Varicose veins, spider veins, reticular veins, and chronic venous insufficiency can be treated using a variety of minimally invasive methods.

Each treatment serves to collapse or close the area of the vein that’s causing a backflow of blood, encouraging the body to create new blood vessels and restoring natural, healthy blood flow.

Treatments include:

• Varithena® sclerotherapy: specialized foam that fills and collapses the vein
• VenaSeal™ system: specialized adhesive that closes the vein
• Trivex®: uses light to visualize and treat clusters of veins
• Micro-phlebectomy: removal of small sections of the vein
• Ambulatory phlebectomy: removal of sections of the vein, but you can walk immediately afterward
• Vein ligation and stripping: cutting and removal of sections of vein
• Venous stent: metal tube placed in the vein to restore blood flow
• Endovenous laser ablation: use of noninvasive laser therapy to collapse vein
• ClosureFast™ endovenous system: radiofrequency wave therapy

Some procedures are done in the office with little or no recovery time needed, while others may require anesthesia and some downtime.

For a consultation about which treatment may be right to treat your vein issue, call or book an appointment online with the Vein Center of Louisiana. The practice serves those in Lafayette, Lake Charles, Alexandria and the surrounding areas.