Varicose veins are enlarged blood vessels caused by weakening of the walls of the veins, usually the saphenous vein, which runs the length of the leg and is subjected to the greatest gravitational pressure. Spider veins, often on the hands and face, usually show up as little webs of interconnected reddish or purple lines, but they are also from swollen blood vessels that are close to the skin's surface. In the past, treatment for varicose veins involved surgery to tie off or remove the affected blood vessel. Researchers reported study results showing that the new procedure is 95 percent effective in treating varicose veins.
Doctors then insert a small catheter and guide it to the top of the saphenous vein.
The catheter is equipped with tiny electrodes which are used to heat the inner wall of the vein. This causes collagen in the vein wall to contract and the vein itself to shrink and close off. Other veins then take over the circulation of blood in the legs. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, treatment with the new lasers has a lower risk of side effects than the lasers used in the past. Patients can resume normal activities immediately.