Asklepion / Your problems / Varicose veins
Varicose veins
Varicose veins, varices, are blue and purple prominent, tortuous even knotty dilated veins. About 70 % of women and 50 % of men suffer with varices. They should be treated from the first symptoms; they are not only aesthetically ugly but they can lead to other problems such as diseases of the lymphatic system, the stagnation of venous flow, thrombosis and even varicose ulcers.
The classical treatment
Varicose veins are treated mostly with classical surgery (stripping), when the vein is cut in the groin and near the ankle and by a special instrument stripped off the legs. The operation can be traditionally brutal, it is associated with a lot of bleeding, bruising and scarring. At Asklepion we use a better gentler technique using lasers, sometimes combined with the method CHIVA, where there is no bleeding, minimal bruising and hardly any scarring. The procedure is performed within one day. The method is suitable for smaller veins, not the main veins, which have to be detected with the ultrasound and with minimal surgical sutures and cuts.
Laser treatment
During the laser method, the main vein is destroyed by thermocoagulation. The vein is entered via a small cut by the laser diode filament. Under the guidance of ultrasound the filament is pushed through the whole length of vein which should be removed. On the way out, the laser is switched on and the whole vein is „glued” from inside. The vein shrinks and is absorbed by the body mechanisms.
Patients who are scared of injections are treated by a different laser, GentleYAG. This one is able to coagulate even deeply positioned vessels through the skin, the body absorbs the remnants. After the procedure the patient does not have to wear compressive stockings but has to protect the treated areas by protective creams such as Photoderm.
The smallest vennules with the diameter of 1,5mm can be removed by laser Vbeam. For this laser it is important that there is a contrast between colour of the vennule and he skin. The best season for doing this is the spring, when skin is not tanned and the laser can „see” the vennules. The treated places should be protected from the sun light for a few weeks after the therapy.
The sclerotherapy
The smaller red or bluish vennules of 1–4mm in diameter can be eliminated by sclerotherapy or by laser. During sclerotherapy the doctor injects vennules with a special solution, which chemically destroys them. The advantage of this method is the gentleness, the place of injection can be desensitized by a special cream. The disadvantage is, that for three to six weeks, the patient should wear special bandages, to prevent these vessels reappearing again.