The blood in veins of our legs normally moves from bottom to top, or from the foot to the thigh and then up towards the heart. Leg veins have one-way valves that enable them to push the blood up the leg against gravity.
When varicose veins appear, it's often because these one-way vein valves are not functioning normally. The valves are not able to resist the constant push of gravity downward, and backflow occurs. As the backflow persists, venous blood settles in the lower leg. Hence, the leg swells up as the result of this elevated pressure in the veins, and the swelling tends to be most prominent after you've been standing for a long period of time.
Endovenous laser therapy is an alternative and more cosmetic way of dealing with varicose veins. A fine laser fibre is passed up the vein under ultrasound guidance. The ultrasound guidance ensures that only the correct vein is treated. The vein wall is gently heated permanently shrinking and destroying the vein.
The Key Benefits of Endovenous Laser Therapy
- Scar-free procedure that can be performed entirely under local anaesthetic the majority of cases.
- It is applicable to nearly all patients including those with pre-existing medical conditions. Patients who have previously had unsuccessful varicose vein stripping can also have endovenous laser therapy.
- Cosmetic outcomes from laser are far superior to stripping. Patients report minimal to no bruising, swelling or pain following the procedure. Many return to normal within a few days.