Varicose Vein Treatment

Our expert team may recommend starting with a non-surgical treatment for your varicose veins. These treatments include:

• Compression stockings: These stockings are usually your first treatment option. They gently squeeze your legs to help your leg muscles and veins move blood. This way, blood does not pool in your legs. Compression stockings can improve symptoms but do not treat the underlying issue in your veins.
• Lifestyle changes: Our specialists may recommend weight loss or exercise to help circulate your blood. They may suggest that you raise your legs when you sit or lie down. This helps prevent your varicose veins from worsening.

Your varicose veins may require surgical treatment. Emory Heart & Vascular offers the following procedures:

• Ambulatory phlebectomy/excisions: Specialists remove smaller varicose veins through tiny punctures in your skin. Following this procedure, you will wear a bandage or compression stockings.
• Sclerotherapy: This procedure is for spider veins. Spider veins are typically smaller than varicose veins and are considered cosmetic. Injections of foam or another solution make your spider veins fade. This process usually takes a few weeks. You may need more than one treatment. Sclerotherapy can also treat larger veins and the residual veins left over after an ablation.
• Varicose vein ablation: This is a minimally invasive outpatient procedure performed in our office. There are several types:
  • Endovenous laser treatment (EVLT): Heat from a catheter makes the vein close and seal shut.
  • Radiofrequency ablation (VNUS Closure): This is the same as EVLT but uses radiofrequency instead of a laser.
  • Varithena®: Doctors inject foam into the diseased vein, causing it to collapse.
  • VenaSeal™ Closure System: This uses a specially formulated medical adhesive to collapse the vein.

Your doctor will work with you to find the best treatment for your varicose veins.