New Treatment for Varicose Veins
N E W Y O R K, April 9 -- Twisted rope-like veins bulge out of the legs of 50 percent of women in the United States, according to the American Academy of Dermatology.
Varicose veins can be more than just plain ugly. The unsightly veins can cause pain, swelling or itching severe enough to drive many sufferers to seek medical help.
Over the years, several procedures for treatment have surfaced, but most have been somewhat invasive.
A relatively new procedure that's being used in about 100 doctors' offices around the country is said to be far less invasive, painful and time-consuming than the current most popular procedure, known as vein stripping.
Seeking Closure
Mark Adelman, director of vascular surgery at Bellevue Hospital in New York City, says a procedure known as VNUS, or "closure," is a great option for patients who've been putting off a varicose vein procedure because of the pain and recovery time traditionally involved.
"The procedure itself is not painful at all and after the surgery the patients resume the normal day-to-day activities without pain," Adelman said on ABCNEWS' Good Morning America.
VNUS, which uses a radio frequency to close the troublesome vein, can be done while patients are under localized anesthesia, and patients usually recover completely in one to two days, Adelman said.
Varicose or "enlarged" veins that sit just under the skin of the leg have numerous causes. The most common cause is a valvular dysfunction of the main vein on the leg. That vein should allow blood to pass through the leg to the heart and close so blood doesn't pass back. When it's dysfunctional, the blood can pass back, causing the enlargement.
More women suffer from varicose veins than men because it's worsened by estrogen stimulation and by anything that puts pressure on the abdomen, like obesity or pregnancy. Only 20 percent of American men suffer from varicose veins.
Throbbing Pain
Lynette McCollum has been trying to cope with her own varicose veins for five years. The 38-year-old Broadway performer and mother of two said she's tried every trick in the book to try and relieve the pain of the veins — but support hose and dieting hasn't helped. "It's painful, the throbbing and the heaviness of the leg," she said.
