Your doctor doesn’t need these to treat your varicose veins. Endovenous Ablation offers beautiful legs without surgery.

For those who suffer from varicose veins, painful vein stripping surgeries have largely given way to endovenous ablation, an advanced treatment that uses heat energy rather than a surgeon’s scalpel. During treatment, a physician carefully applies heat energy to damage the vein tissue. Scar tissue forms and closes off the vein, causing it to be unable to swell. That means unsightly blue lumps and the often accompanying pain disappear. No surgical incision is necessary – Just a small nick in the skin that heals without stitching.

But as with all developing technologies, there are risks and benefits to be weighed:

Risks

• Though very rare in endovenous ablation, any procedure that involves penetration of the skin – even a small nick – carries a risk of infection;
• Placement of the catheter inside a blood vessel can cause damage to the blood vessel, bruising or bleeding at the puncture site;
• On rare occasions, patients experience thermal (heat) damage to nerves. These instances are very temporary and heal quickly;
• A common risk is an inflammation of the vein called thrombophlebitis, which involves pain and redness over the treated area but is easily treated with nonsteroidial anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs);
• In rare instances, blood clots can form inside the veins, known as deep vein thrombosis (DVT.)

Benefits

• No invasive surgery necessary – a major deciding factor for most patients;
• Fewer complications, less pain and quicker recovery times than with previous vein stripping treatments;
• Virtually no scarring;
• Little or no downtime allows patients to return to their normal daytime activities immediately with minimal or no pain.

If you have spider or varicose veins, a vein specialist can you determine the best treatment regime for your unique case and lifestyle. Call 904-402-VEIN (8346) or complete our online email form to schedule a consultation with Jacksonville’s St. Johns Vein Center today.

You’re never too old to dance – or to get varicose vein treatment.

Varicose vein treatment often is thought to be a cosmetic procedure favored by middle-aged patients seeking to preserve their youthful looks. But anyone who suffers from varicose veins and the accompanying symptoms, like painful and swollen legs, knows differently.

Your risk of varicose veins and other venous conditions increases as you age. That’s because aging causes wear and tear on the valves in your veins, weakening them and diminishing their ability to effectively regulate blood flow. Eventually those valves fail, causing blood to flow backward and pool in your veins rather than flowing upward to your heart. That pooled blood causes veins to expand and bulge. Over time, they may become elongated, twisted, pouched, and thickened. Pain, swelling and more serious venous conditions can follow.

Many patients simply accept varicose veins and related symptoms as an unavoidable part of aging. Not so, says Jacksonville vein specialist Dr. James St. George of the St. Johns Vein Center.

“There is no need to suffer with painful or swollen legs,” he says. “I treat patients in their late eighties routinely.”

Today’s elderly are increasingly active and health-savvy. They’re exercising more, eating better, socializing and taking better care of themselves overall. They demand cutting-edge medical care that delivers results with fewer risks and less downtime.

Answering that call, Dr. St. George specializes in non-surgical and minimally invasive treatments that don’t require anesthesia or extended recovery times. Treatment options include compression hose, endovenous ablation and sclerotherapy. If you suffer from varicose veins or another venous insufficiency condition – no matter how advanced your age – call the St. Johns Vein Center at 904-402-VEIN (8346) and schedule a consultation.

Unsure about the idea of vein stripping? Relax – Endovenous ablation is a non-invasive new treatment that replaces stripping of varicose veins.

For many years, vein stripping, the surgical removal of diseased veins, was considered the primary treatment option for getting rid of varicose veins. No more, says Jacksonville vein specialist Dr. James St. George. Today, a far less invasive procedure is the norm.

Endovenous ablation is an advanced treatment that uses heat energy to treat saphenous veins, which are the cause of varicose veins and their symptoms including leg pain, swelling and changes in the color of the lower legs and feet. Heat energy applied to the inside of the vein damages vein tissue, causing scar tissue to form and close off spider or varicose veins. Veins shut down and are no longer able to swell, which means those unsightly blue lumps and the accompanying pain disappear.

While the thought of heat high enough to zap and shut down a vein may seem painful, quite the opposite is true. Patients typically feel a slight pin prick when the local anesthetic is injected and some pressure when the catheter is inserted, but no serious discomfort. There is no time required for recovery and patients return to work immediately. It’s a minimally invasive procedure that works for all ages and generally is followed with non-invasive treatments like sclerotherapy and wearing of graduated pressure stockings.

If you have varicose veins, leg swelling, pain or discoloration, call the St. Johns  Vein Center at 904-402-VEIN (8346) or complete our online email form to schedule a consultation.

Endovenous ablation uses radiofrequency or laser energy to treat varicose veins.

If you have spider veins, varicose veins, swelling, leg pain or changes in the color of your lower legs and feet, Jacksonville’s Dr. James St. George may recommend a treatment called endovenous ablation. This advanced treatment uses heat energy to damage vein tissue, causing scar tissue to form and close the vein. With the vein shut down and no longer able to swell, the ugly blue lumps on your skin – and the pain that comes with them – disappear.

The heat sources used in endovenous ablation come from either radiofrequency or laser energy. Radiofrequency ablation involves using an ultrasound-guided radiofrequency catheter inserted into the abnormal vein. Radio energy heats up the vein’s interior, causing it to scar and close. Endovenous laser treatment is very similar. An optical fiber inserted into the vein and infrared laser light shines into the vein’s interior, causing the vein to contract as the fiber is slowly withdrawn. The procedure is performed in the office on patients of all ages.

Endovenous ablation is minimally invasive and has replaced vein stripping, which involved the surgical removal of veins. Both radiofrequency and laser ablation treatments typically are followed with other non-invasive treatments like sclerotherapy.

Find out if endovenous ablation is the best option for treating your leg pain or varicose veins. Jacksonville’s St. Johns Vein Center specializes in treatment of varicose veins, spider veins and related venous insufficiency conditions. Call 904-402-VEIN (8346) or complete our online consultation scheduling form.