If you are looking for a less painful alternative to treat varicose veins, Venaseal™ may be for you. It’s minimally invasive and has a quick recovery process—a great option for busy people who hate getting surgery. But first, you have to know how it works. Let’s walk you through this procedure and discuss all the benefits.
Venaseal: An Innovative Treatment for Varicose Veins
Medical adhesives have been used for decades. But not until the last decade have they been utilized for venous procedures. Venaseal is the first of its kind to be FDA-approved for vein treatments.
Venaseal uses a medical adhesive to close varicose veins. The adhesive is a soft, elastic substance that polymerizes rapidly, allowing it to swiftly close the vein. But how is this adhesive effective? Let’s walk through the steps of Venaseal.
How Does the Venaseal Process Work?
The goal of Venaseal is to redirect blood flow from an unhealthy varicose vein to a healthier one. This is done by closing off the vein with a device that releases medical adhesive.
To start the treatment, the doctor takes an ultrasound of your leg to find the varicose vein. Once located, they numb the area by applying local anesthesia. Then the doctor uses a needle to guide a catheter into the vein.
Once inside, the catheter runs along the length of the vein and releases the adhesive. The doctor then uses an ultrasound to make sure the catheter is properly guided. The only discomfort you will experience now is mild pressure to ensure the vein closes.
After the vein is fully closed, the doctor will remove the catheter and apply a bandage. Over time the body will start to reabsorb the repaired vein. Once this happens, the outward appearance of varicose veins should lessen. This usually occurs within 4 weeks of the Venaseal treatment.
What Are the Advantages of Venaseal?
It’s apparent that with Venaseal, you don’t need to worry much about varicose vein pain relief. But what other benefits make this procedure worthwhile?
No General Anesthesia Needed
When you get Venaseal you are awake for the entirety of the procedure. Just local anesthesia is used. This may be of benefit to those sensitive to nausea, muscle pain, hypothermia, delirium, and other side effects of general anesthesia. The worst you can experience from local anesthesia is mild bruising or itching.
Doesn’t Interfere With Your Medication
Some people may be wary of how Venaseal will interfere with their prescriptions. The good news is that it won’t! You don’t have to stop taking any of your medications before or after the procedure. The minimally invasive nature of Venaseal means that it won’t mess with the balance of anything you are currently taking.
Surgery and Recovery are Quick
Venaseal treatments are maximized for your convenience. The procedure is outpatient, only takes about 60-90 minutes, and can be done on both legs during the same appointment. Once done, the vein access point is generally the only area that needs healing. Tissue irritation and bruising are exceptionally minimal and recovery time is usually only a few days.
Venaseal Has Proven Success Rates
Venaseal has over a 98% vein closure rate for patients 6 months out of surgery and and a 94.6% closure rate for those 5 years out. This is as effective as other varicose vein treatments that come with far more side effects.
What Are the Alternatives to Venaseal?
Now that you know how convenient and quick Venaseal is, let’s see how it compares to other treatments.
Sclerotherapy
Like Venaseal, sclerotherapy is both minimally invasive and highly efficient. This process uses a small needle to inject a chemical solution into the vein. Sclerotherapy tends to have a longer recovery process than Venaseal. Patients also experience more discomfort from the needle used during the procedure.
Laser Treatments
Laser treatments use beams of radiation to close varicose veins. The beam of light shrinks the vein, creating scar tissue inside the vessel that seals it off. When you use thermal or laser procedures to seal varicose veins, the heat must be numbed. So unlike Venaseal, multiple needle injections are needed to offset the pain. These injections often cause post-surgical aches and bruising.
Ligation and Vein Stripping
Ligation and vein stripping are considerably more invasive than Venaseal. Ligation is a surgical procedure where the affected vein is tied off to prevent blood flow and then removed. Vein stripping strips the varicose vein out of the body through a small incision in the leg. Because both of these procedures require incisions, recovery time is usually longer than Venaseal.
Ambulatory Phlebectomy
Ambulatory phlebectomy’s remove varicose veins through small puncture holes in the skin. This can be done without making large incisions or using general anesthesia. Like Venaseal, ambulatory phlebectomy is a minimally invasive, outpatient procedure. However, it uses a small instrument to remove the veins rather than sealing them with an adhesive.
Venaseal Could Be the Right Treatment for You
Having varicose veins isn’t just a cosmetic issue. It can also cause major pain, swelling, blood clots, and ulcers in your veins and legs. If you want a relatively low-pain treatment for varicose veins, Venaseal may be for you. With its quick recovery process and little to no side effects, this may be one of the best treatments for varicose veins.
