Are you one of the 25 million Americans who suffer from venous reflux disease, which commonly appears in the form of varicose veins?
It’s a lot more common than you might think. One of out every two adults over 50—and two-thirds of women over 60—battle this progressive condition.
If you’re tired of dealing with legs that are swollen, heavy or tired, there’s good news. You can treat venous reflux disease with a minimally invasive procedure that relies on radiofrequency to seal a damaged vein. Once the vein is closed off, your body is smart enough to locate a healthy vein through which to re-route the blood.
One popular radiofrequency technology is called the VNUS Closure procedure. Requiring little more than a catheter and local or regional anesthesia, the Closure procedure can be done at an outpatient facility in about an hour. Patients typically feel little to no pain. And many insurance companies will cover the cost of the treatment if warranted by medical reasons as opposed to pure cosmetics.
When researching a treatment, make sure that the physician performing your procedure is a board certified surgeon. (Don’t be shy about asking.) Other medical professionals, such as clinical technicians, dermatologists, obstetrician/gynecologists, and emergency room doctors, may also offer services to treat vein disease. But this is still a surgical procedure—accompanied by the slight risk of blood clots or nerve injury—that calls for a trained surgeon in case any complications arise.
About the author: Barbara Loris, MD, is a board certified general surgeon with Consultants in General Surgery, which is affiliated with Northshore University HealthSystems. For more information or to book a consultation, call 847-433-1060. The office is located at 767 Park Avenue West, Suite 320 in Highland Park.
