Varicose veins are a common condition, particularly if you have a job that requires plenty of time on your feet. Usually, though, it’s not a harmful condition — it’s simply unsightly. It can, however, cause discomfort or pain in some. Larger veins can be bulging and blue while smaller blood vessels resemble red versions of spider webs wandering over your legs. Both varicose and spider veins happen for the same reason, and whether your veins are causing you discomfort or simply detracting from your appearance, microphlebectomy may be the minimally invasive answer to your condition.
A Pressure Situation
Veins have a difficult job to do. Returning blood to the heart and lungs is no easy matter, particular when working against gravity from your feet on up. To help prevent backflow, veins have tiny valves along their length, permitting the forward progress of blood, but stopping backward motion.
As you get older, vein tissue starts to deteriorate, and if you have certain risk factors, these valves may start to fail, with blood pooling and stretching veins, resulting in the bulging and twisted appearance associated with varicose veins.
Smaller spider veins develop for the same reason, and while you might not see bulging on the scale of larger veins, the webs of red blood vessels aren’t visually any more welcome.
When You’re at Risk
Vein valve damage leading to varicose and spider veins doesn’t happen to everyone, but there are factors that increase your chances of developing this vascular issue. Among the most common factors are:
- Age: The valves in your veins start to fail due to wear-and-tear as you get older
- Being a woman: You’re more likely to have varicose veins if you’re a woman, since the predominate female hormones can cause veins to relax, aggravating failing valves
- Pregnancy: Hormones may also be a factor when you’re pregnant, as can the additional volume of blood you experience
- Being overweight: Your legs work harder when you’re above optimal body mass, causing valves to fail more often
- Inactivity: Standing or sitting for extended periods can increase varicose vein risk, since the muscle action in movement helps the veins pump blood upward
- Genetics: If close relatives have varicose or spider veins, you’re more likely to develop them
Microphlebectomy as the Solution
There are several ways to approach varicose vein removal, and if spider veins are the target of your dissatisfaction, microphlebectomy may be the ideal solution for you. Also called ambulatory phlebectomy, this treatment is typically done on an outpatient basis in-office. Rather than a major surgical procedure, microphlebectomy uses tiny pinprick incisions to hook individual blood vessels. These incisions are so tiny that stitches usually aren’t necessary.
Veins are permanently removed and your body naturally revascularizes itself to supply tissue around the removed vein. Microphlebectomy is a safe procedure. Its only potential side effects are those common to any procedure that breaks the skin, such as an allergy shot or blood sample. The entire treatment is typically performed in less than an hour.
Choosing Premier Vein Clinic is the logical, smart choice. Dr. Naar and his team specialize in vascular health, so you’re in caring, experienced hands. There’s no need to endure your spider veins any longer. Call or click to schedule your consultation today.