I have both spider veins and varicose veins. Will endovenous laser ablation treat both of these problems?
ELA treats saphenous and accessory vein reflux by closing the leaking valves which are feeding the varicose and spider veins. It may give some improvement to varicose and spider veins but, most of the time, varicose veins will require microphlebectomies and spider veins sclerotherapy.
Published on Jul 11, 2012
Endovenous laser ablation treats a leading and prominent cause of varicose and spider veins. Usually [> 80% of the time] some sclerotherapy (injection treatments) is needed to "clean up" the remaining varicose and spider veins that are not reduced by the endovenous laser treatment. Occaissionally, less than 20% of the time, the treatment of the underlying reflux with the EVLT leads to enough improvement or resolution of the both spider veins and or varicose veins that no additional treatment is required.
Published on Jul 11, 2012
EVLT will treat the Varicose veins and sometime this will improve the spider veins that are associated with that particular varicose vein. Not all spider veins are however associated with a varicose vein and would need to be treated separately with laser (YAG) or sclerotherapy or a combination of the two.
Published on Jul 11, 2012
Endovenous laser treats the underlying large veins that are the source of bulging varicose veins and spider veins. The bulges and spider veins then have to be directly treated with sclerotherapy, surface laser (IPL) or phlebectomy (vein stripping). The EVLT is essential in eliminating these problems, however.
Published on Jul 11, 2012
Endovenous laser ablation will treat the underlying cause of varicose veins. Sometimes this will improve some of the spider veins. Important to keep in mind is that the number one reason for spider vein treatment failure is that there is an underlying "leaking" vein. Hence, it is often helpful to have the ablation before entertaining spider vein treatment.
Published on Jul 11, 2012
No, EndoVenous laser ablation is used only for greater saphenous vein
treatment at thigh level. Some physicians use it for treatment of
lesser saphenous varicosity which is an "off-label" application of
this treatment method. Spider veins are best treated by
sclerotherapy. It should be understood that sclerotherapy of spider
veins can be a complex task, and in no way should be trivialized.
Some seemingly simple spider veins can be rooted in reflux from deep
veins. therefore the initial evaluation must be done by an expert in
phlebology, and doppler and duplex ultrasound mapping must be
available and used at any medical office that engages in treatment of
spider veins.
Published on Jul 11, 2012
Ablation is for the larger varicose vein's feeding vein. Spider veins
are usually treated with injection sclerotherapy or sometimes with
surface lasers (which are different than the lasers used for ablation).
Published on Jul 11, 2012
Endovenous laser is used to treat reflux on the large veins of the legs. It will improve and diminish the problem of varicose veins and spider veins but will not eliminate them. Most patients with a combination of varicose veins (large ones) and spider veins need a combination of endovenous laser and/or sclerotherapy and/or phlebectomy.
Published on Jul 11, 2012
Endovenous Laser will not change the appearance of your spider veins significantly. However, if saphenous insufficiency exists, then treatment with EVLT will make treatment of the spider veins more effective.
Published on Jul 11, 2012
No. Endovenous ablation treats bulging varicose veins. Spider veins are
treated with sclerotherapy.
Published on Jul 11, 2012