Are you bothered by unsightly varicose veins? With modern technology, radiologists can whisk them away and restore your skin’s beauty. But varicose veins aren’t only a cosmetic problem. They can make your legs ache, swell, and throb, especially after standing or doing physical work all day.
In addition, they can place you at greater risk of a dangerous blood clot that can cause an embolism. If the veins make your legs swell and become discolored, you may be at risk of a leg ulcer, a wound that’s hard to heal.
Our board-certified radiologists at REDI Diagnostics Corp. in Elmwood Park, New Jersey, use a number of treatments to eliminate problematic varicose veins. Two popular minimally invasive options are endovenous laser ablation and radiofrequency ablation. Your doctor explains which procedure will give you the best outcome.
Endovenous laser ablation (EVLA) uses the heat energy of a laser to destroy your varicose veins. Your doctor numbs a large area around your target vein. The anesthesia causes your leg to swell, but the method reduces blood loss and pain and aids recovery.
Your radiologist places a thin laser fiber into your affected vein and heats the vein. The heat energy closes the vein, and your body redirects the blood to other healthy veins nearby. Eventually, scar tissue seals your vein completely.
For radiofrequency ablation (RA), your doctor uses the same type of local anesthesia as EVLA to numb a large area around your vein site. During RA, a tiny catheter is inserted into your target vein.
Rather than a laser, radiofrequency waves send heat energy in pulses to destroy the structure of the vein. When your doctor removes the catheter, the vein partially closes, and like EVLA, blood starts moving through surrounding healthy veins. Just as with EVLA, your vein remains turn into scar tissue and your body absorbs it.
Both EVLA and RA achieve similar technical outcomes. Your vein closes, and treatment eases your symptoms. Your vein remains closed over the long term, and there are few complications with either procedure.
The two procedures are similar but do have some differences. EVLA uses laser energy while RA uses radiofrequency waves, but both produce thermal energy. Using thermal energy to destroy varicose veins is the gold standard in treatment.
The differences in EVLA and radiofrequency ablation are minimal. Your doctor may recommend EVLA if your vein is large or you’re at risk of blood clots. RA may result in less bruising and discomfort. You’ll achieve your goal of beautiful, smooth skin with either method.
Call REDI Diagnostics Corp or book an appointment online today to eliminate your varicose veins.
