Vein Treatment Side Effects
In the past, vein diseases like varicose veins and spider veins could only be treated with complicated surgical procedures like vein stripping, venous bypass surgery, and phlebectomy. These surgical treatments for vein disease were extremely complicated, involved downtime because of hospitalization, had a relatively low success rate, and they had a high risk of complications. Surgical vein treatment side effects included deep vein thrombosis, infections, and other rare complication.
Thanks to modern medicine and advancements in technology, we no longer have to treat vein disease using such complicated and risky methods. Advanced modern vein treatments are minimally invasive, non-surgical, and they cause minimal pain or discomfort. Furthermore, minimally invasive vein treatments are conducted in-office and they conclude within an hour with no downtime and negligible risk of side effects.
Despite that, people are still scared of vein treatment and some are under the false assumption that vein treatments can be risky. In this article, we will give you an overview of vein treatment side effects for all of the leading minimally invasive treatment for varicose veins. As you’ll see, varicose vein treatments are simple and you have nothing to worry about.
Radiofrequency Ablation
Radiofrequency Ablation is the best minimally invasive treatment for varicose veins. This procedure is also known as VNUS or ClosureFAST because those are the equipment used for this procedure. This procedure uses heat energy to collapse the diseased saphenous vein and restore blood circulation to the heart.
During the procedure, the vein doctor creates an incision on the surface of the skin to insert a catheter into your diseased vein. This is done under ultrasound guidance. Once the vein doctor inserts a catheter into the affected saphenous vein, they activate it to generate thermal energy that disrupts the vein walls and close it down.
The entire procedure concludes within an hour and you can get back to work immediately. It has an incredibly high 97% success rate and it doesn’t cause any pain, either during or after the procedure.
Radiofrequency Ablation may cost several thousands of dollars, depending on the vein treatment clinic and the depth and seriousness of vein disease. However, radiofrequency ablation is a medically necessary procedure so it’s generally covered by insurance.
Radiofrequency Ablation has an extremely low risk of side effects. These are some of the possible radiofrequency ablation vein treatment side effects:
- Slight risk of bruising and stiffness.
- Slight numbness on the surface of your skin.
- The possibility of an allergic reaction.
- Extremely negligible risk of infections — though there has never been an infection at VIP Medical Group.
- Extremely negligible risk of a blood clot.
Endovenous Laser Ablation
Endovenous Laser Ablation is another one of the best minimally invasive treatments for vein disease. This procedure is also conducted under local anesthesia and it carries a negligible risk of side effects.
During the procedure, the vein doctor injects local anesthesia and creates a small incision on the surface of the skin. They insert an endovenous laser through the incision — under ultrasound guidance — until it enters the diseased saphenous vein. The vein doctor applies tumescent anesthesia all along the walls of the damaged vein to numb it. Finally, the vein doctor activates the laser fiber to generate laser energy, which generates an inflammatory reaction and closes the vein. The accumulated blood, meanwhile, reroutes to healthier veins.
After endovenous laser treatment, your leg is wrapped in an ace bandage and you have to wear compression stockings for a few days. This procedure is just as effective as radiofrequency ablation but it causes more post-procedural discomfort.
The endovenous laser ablation procedure costs between $2,000 and $7,000, but most of that can be covered by medical insurance because it’s considered to be a medically necessary procedure.
The following are some of the potential side effects of endovenous laser ablation:
- Some general pain and discomfort in the legs after the treatment.
- Slight numbness on the skin.
- Low risk of an allergic reaction.
- Extremely negligible risk of rare complications like infections or blood clots — it’s a remote possibility and has never happened at VIP Medical Group.
VenaSeal
VenaSeal is a minimally invasive medical adhesive that’s injected into the diseased saphenous vein. There’s no need for local anesthesia because the entire procedure only includes an injection. The vein glue seals the walls of the diseased saphenous vein immediately. After a few hours, the diseased vein hardens and gets absorbed by the body. The accumulated blood reroutes to healthier veins.
VenaSeal has an incredibly high success rate of 99% and it’s a completely safe procedure that causes minimal pain or discomfort. This procedure is quite expensive and it isn’t yet covered by medical insurance because it has only recently been approved by the FDA. As such, you’ll have to foot the bill yourself.
VenaSeal has an incredibly negligible risk of side effects:
- You may experience slight vein inflammation.
- Slight soreness.
Sclerotherapy
Sclerotherapy is a minimally invasive and non-surgical cosmetic procedure used to treat spider veins. During the procedure, the vein doctor injects a solution called sclerosant into the spider veins. This medicine fuses their vein walls, essentially turning them into scar tissues. The spider veins harden and gradually get absorbed by the body, thereby restoring smooth blood circulation to the heart.
A single sclerotherapy session can reduce the appearance of spider veins by 50-80% and you generally see results within three weeks. Depending on your condition, you may need several sclerotherapy sessions as well. This procedure, however, only treats spider veins and not the underlying vein disease.
Sclerotherapy has the following potential vein treatment side effects:
- You may experience slight irritation for a day.
- The injected sites will have a small mark resembling a mosquito bite.
- Hyperpigmentation — a condition in which the skin above the vein darkens — is a rare complication with a possibility of less than 1%.
Schedule your Treatment for Varicose Veins
VIP Medical Group is one of the best collectives of vein doctors and vein clinics in the country. We have some of the most qualified and patient vein doctors who carefully examine your symptoms and medical history to make sure that there are no lasting or serious vein treatment side effects. We’ve never had any instances of infections, blood clots, or other rare complication. For more information, please schedule an appointment for treatment of varicose veins today.