Venous Reflux / Chronic Venous Insufficiency

Treatments for Venous Reflux and Chronic Venous Insufficiency

Chronic venous insufficiency (CVI) is a progressive medical condition that worsens over time and affects the veins in the leg that carry oxygen-poor blood back toward the heart. Varicose veins can progress to CVI if left untreated. When this happens, symptoms such as pain, leg swelling, skin damage, and ulcers may occur.

Once a vein valve becomes diseased and the vein wall stretches and enlarges, blood starts to flow in the wrong direction away from the heart. This cannot be fixed. The only alternative is to reroute blood flow through healthy veins by closing the diseased veins.

This can be done painlessly and easily using several techniques demonstrated below. Diagnosis and treatments for vein disorders is normally covered by medical and private insurance companies.

Treatments for Venous Reflux and Chronic Venous Insufficiency

COMPRESSION THERAPY

This is a temporary first-line therapy for venous reflux and vein disorders. This therapy is often utilized not only for vein disorders but also for prevention, as by many athletes to gain a competitive edge. Most of our Vein Center practitioners and staff wear compression daily. Ask and you will be surprised when they show you the new, brightly colored compression sleeves, socks, and stockings they are wearing.

RADIOFREQUENCY ABLATION (RFA) WITH VENEFIT™

The Venefit™ procedure uses radiofrequency energy to precisely and effectively treat patients suffering from chronic venous insufficiency (CVI). This procedure results in less pain and bruising than alternative treatments. Learn more about Venefit.

ENDOVENOUS LASER TREATMENT (EVLT) WITH DORNIER MEDILAS D FLEXIPULSE 940

Endovenous laser treatment uses laser energy to close and seal faulty veins, rerouting blood flow to other, healthy veins. This minimally invasive procedure requires no anesthesia and results in less pain and quicker recovery time.

CLARIVEIN® IC

The ClariVein®IC is a minimally invasive procedure for treating varicose veins. The doctor inserts the device’s catheter into the faulty vein. Its rotating wire tip disperses a sclerosant solution to close the vein. No anesthesia is required and there is minimal downtime or pain involved. Learn more about ClariVein.

VENASEAL™

This procedure actually glues the vein shut. Using ultrasound guidance, your doctor will insert the device’s catheter in specific areas along the diseased vein to deliver small amounts of a medical adhesive. There is very little pain or bruising and you can return to normal activity immediately after the procedure. Learn more about VenaSeal.

VARITHENA®

Varithena is a sclerosant foam that is in injected to close a vein. The Varithena microfoam fills the targeted section of the vein and treats the vein wall, causing the diseased vein to collapse. Blood flow is redirected to healthier nearby veins. The microfoam then disperses as it comes into contact with blood in healthy veins. Learn more about Varithena.

VEINLITE®

Veinlite utilizes a surface light to see abnormal varicose veins underneath the skin and close them using foam sclerotherapy. These veins often cannot be seen on the skin with the naked eye, and because they are smaller and very close to the skin surface, they are not seen well with ultrasound during foam sclerotherapy.

ULTRASOUND-GUIDED FOAM SCLEROTHERAPY (UGS)

This is an additional procedure that is recommended to patients with venous reflux who also demonstrate varicose/spider veins on the skin. Once the refluxing vein is closed, the branches that drain to this closed vein need to be closed as well for two reasons: To decrease the chances of recurrence and future problems and to help eliminate the varicose/spider veins and their symptoms.

A colleague of ours in the UK, Dr. Mark Whiteley, demonstrates UGS: