Varicose veins aren’t always a simple cosmetic problem. Irregularities in blood circulation are the primary cause of this condition. So besides looking unpleasant, these bulging or twisted veins can also be indicative of an underlying medical condition. Thankfully, there are many treatment options to remove these unsightly leg veins.
So will varicose vein surgery improve blood circulation? When treating varicose veins, surgery is considered a last resort. If you want to improve blood circulation and get rid of varicose veins, there are other options you can explore that are less invasive. In fact, changing your lifestyle habits can be a simple yet effective solution to your poor blood circulation, thus eliminating the need for surgery.
When Having Varicose Vein Surgery, Will it Help with Circulation?
Varicose vein surgery is the last resort if pain and other symptoms are still experienced after exhausting all the other treatment options to improve blood circulation and eliminate varicose veins. Additionally, varicose vein surgery only removes the affected vein. So if the reasons for your poor blood circulation aren’t addressed then varicose vein surgery wouldn’t resolve anything.
Signs and Effects of Poor Circulation in the Legs
Poor blood circulation can be a symptom of a more serious medical problem. There are instances when these are detected later on during the late stages of a disease. But when the symptoms of poor circulation are visible, these are often easy to spot. Such symptoms include:
- Fatigue
- Digestive issues
- Skin discoloration in the area that lacks blood flow
- Cognitive dysfunction (i.e, confusion, memory loss)
- Muscle cramping in the legs that don’t seem to heal
- Constant foot pain and throbbing in the arms and legs
- Persistent tingling, numbness, swelling, and heaviness in your extremities (i.e, hands, arms, legs, feet, and toes)
- Death of body tissue which can lead to amputation in severe cases
Finding the underlying cause behind poor circulation is crucial to address any condition or disease that needs to be treated. Some complications of poor blood circulation include blood clots, chronic venous insufficiency, and deep vein thrombosis. So it’s important to consult your healthcare provider for appropriate treatment.
How Can Better Blood Circulation Reduce Varicose Veins?
A cardiovascular system consists of veins, arteries, and valves that pump blood throughout the body. Through each blood vessel such as arteries and veins, valves pump blood towards and away from the heart. Blood is pumped from the heart to the body parts through arteries, and blood is returned by veins.
When your venous valves and vein wall become weak or damaged due to having lost their elasticity, then varicose veins may appear. As a result of weak or damaged valves, blood can pool and even flow backward in the veins. This vein disease is common among women, although not exclusively experienced by them.
In summary, varicose veins are mostly a result of poor blood circulation due to weak valves so improving it is crucial to remediate those unsightly veins. But there are many better non-invasive solutions to varicose veins aside from surgery.
Pain-Free and Non-Invasive Varicose Vein Treatments for Improved Blood Circulation at Vein Center Doctor
Varicose vein treatments don’t always have to be surgical. A vein specialist would generally recommend alternative treatments before resorting to surgery. These varicose vein treatment options address both the unsightly veins and the poor circulation condition.
Here are some effective and safe non-invasive varicose vein treatment options to address your leg vein disease:
1) Sclerotherapy
The procedure involves injecting a special thickening solution directly into the affected veins with a catheter to treat spider veins and varicose veins. When the salt solution is injected, it irritates the lining of blood vessels, causing them to close, allowing blood flow back to the heart through healthier veins.
2) Endovenous Laser Treatment
Using ultrasound guidance, a specialist in interventional radiology performs laser endovenous vein ablation and laser spider vein treatment. In endovenous ablation, heat is applied to the damaged veins using laser fiber, which closes them, allowing blood to flow safely to healthy veins.
3) Compression Therapy
Compression therapy is conducted at Vein Center Doctor with state-of-the-art pneumatic compression devices. The use of compression bandages, compression socks, and compression stockings can speed up the healing process after a damaged vein is closed. As a result, compression facilitates better blood circulation by preventing the affected vein from stretching further.
When to Have Surgery for Varicose Veins
There are instances when varicose veins can’t be treated or improved by non-invasive treatment options such as those mentioned above. So if there aren’t any visible improvements in your symptoms and pain within 6 to 12 months that you’ve been trying those treatments along with regular exercise, a healthy diet, and other lifestyle changes, then that’s the only time when a varicose vein surgery or procedure is recommended.
Varicose vein surgery may also be recommended even if your condition has improved but there are no changes as to how your legs look. Then again, this is only applicable if all the other treatment options failed to produce the desired results.
Different Types of Vein Surgery
Ambulatory phlebectomy is an improved kind of vein stripping. This is a popular option for varicose vein surgery in which superficial veins are removed through small incisions in the skin. The affected vein is identified and removed while preserving the healthy vein and blood vessels surrounding it.
The damaged veins are then extracted using a surgical hook section by section and the procedure is ended with vein ligation. This surgical procedure may take 45 to 60 minutes without discomfort.
Aside from varicose vein surgery, vascular surgery may be the best surgery recommended for improving blood flow. Varicose veins and poor circulation are both mere manifestations of other underlying conditions or potential health risks. So vascular surgery may be more recommended and may produce more significant results than varicose vein surgery.
Surgery may sound more complex than the non-invasive options but there really isn’t much difference except for the faster results of eliminating the unsightly veins, however not holistically improving circulation. Surgery as a varicose vein treatment also doesn’t guarantee that you wouldn’t have new varicose veins in the succeeding months after the treatment.
Is Varicose Vein Surgery Worth It
If you’re just after improving your blood circulation without any accompanying varicose vein symptoms, then lifestyle changes and home remedies may be enough. Consequently, non-invasive procedures may also be the best options for varicose veins. But there are cases when surgery is the only remedy to varicose veins. The reasons for this go beyond aesthetics.
Although there’s no permanent solution to varicose veins, varicose vein surgery can prevent any possible complications of this vein disease. Similarly, it can also provide a faster solution to any underlying cause of varicose veins.
Contrary to common misconceptions, surgery isn’t as complicated, dangerous, and expensive. It’s just not recommended as a first option compared to the other procedures, but there are also benefits of having varicose veins surgically removed such as the following:
- Insurance coverage. Varicose veins aren’t a cosmetic problem, but rather the manifestation of an ongoing underlying medical issue. Additionally, it can cause serious complications. So although not all insurance carriers have varicose vein surgery covered, most carriers acknowledge the fact that the procedure can lead to the prevention of potential health risks associated with it, thus it is included in the coverage plan.
- Pain and downtime. Varicose vein surgery actually isn’t painful and has little to no downtime. In fact, you don’t even need to take time off from work just to have the procedure which lasts about 30 to 45 minutes. As for any mild discomfort and pain, patients are allowed to have anesthesia just to ensure that none of those are experienced.
Safe and Effective Varicose Vein Treatments at Vein Center Doctor
Poor circulation and vein health is often a result of other underlying conditions so varicose vein surgery isn’t always the answer. But a vein specialist would normally recommend other non-invasive options if you want to eliminate the unsightly varicose veins and improve blood flow. However, because there’s no way to prevent varicose veins, you’ll need to constantly undergo a varicose vein treatment for ultimate vein health.
Whether it’s a cosmetic problem or a medical condition, Vein Center Doctor is a reliable vein clinic that aims to resolve your venous problems to achieve a healthier vein. With countless patients treated for vein specialization, Dr. Rahul Sood leads an experienced team of vein specialists in conducting a varicose vein treatment, spider vein treatment, and even treatment for your reticular veins.
Schedule your appointment with our vein specialists at Vein Center Doctor today.
