Vein Treatments | Jacksonville

The most conservative type of varicose and spider veins treatment we offer is called compression hose or compression stocking therapy. This is a very simple varicose treatment whereby the patient wears a previously prescribed pair of compression stockings that work by applying pressure on the ankle and other parts of the leg with the goal of pushing the blood flow upwards towards the heart. Though not always completely successful, this therapy can work well to reduce the vein swelling and help relieve some of the pain and discomfort associated with varicose veins. The cost of the stockings can range between $50 and $125, and there is a bit of a learning curve when they are first used. The key is to put them on consistently first thing in the morning, and practice this daily, making adjustments for proper fitting as you go along. After a few weeks of consistent use, patients normal adjust fairly well to the stockings and get a good deal of benefit from them.

Endovenous Ablation is an advanced treatment (used mostly for larger varicose veins) that harnesses heat energy to shut down the vein. The heat can be produced through either a radio frequency or with laser technology. The goal of the procedure is to tighten and shrink the vein to the point that it is no longer viewable through the skin. Although the valves are still not able to function, the procedure gets rid of the vein swelling and the pain/discomfort that commonly goes along with it. Endovenous Ablation is used more and more today in place of an older technique called vein stripping. The reason for its rise in popularity is its high success rate for a non-surgical, minimally invasive procedure.

Sclerotherapy is among our most popular varicose and spider vein treatments because of its ability to treat many different types of venous insufficiencies. At St. Johns Vein Clinic Jacksonville, Sclerotherapy vein treatments come in 3 forms:

• Ultrasound
• Liquid
• Foam

Ultrasound Sclerotherapy

Ultrasound Sclerotherapy is a breakthrough varicose treatment that can be used for patients that have medium to large sized varicose veins. In the past, these cases would have normally required surgery. But today, our duplex ultrasound technology can be used to find affected veins that are otherwise hidden from plain sight. With ultrasound guided sclerotherapy, veins not visible to the human eye can be displayed on the machine's external monitor. This allows the qualified technician to pinpoint which veins are diseased and in need of treatment and which are healthy. Using the ultrasound machine, the doctor then decides how many injections are needed. From there, the diseased veins are injected with sclerosant, irritating the vein's lining and resulting in the blood clotting and the vein scarring and shrinking. For Jacksonville residents who have already had vein surgery but are experiencing a recurring venous insufficiency condition, ultrasound sclerotherapy may be an effective solution.

Liquid Sclerotherapy

Liquid Sclerotherapy (also known as injection therapy) is one of the standard treatments for spider veins, reticular (blue) veins, and some smaller varicose veins. It is quite popular because of its effectiveness in treating small to medium sized vessels and its relatively low complication rate. Liquid sclerotherapy involves an injection of a specially formulated solution directly inside the affected vein. The solution then causes an irritation to the vein wall, resulting in the vein becoming inflamed. This in turn results in the vein scarring up and closing. Once the vein is closed, healthy blood vessels located nearby pick up the slack by absorbing the flow of blood left by the closed veins. Patients in the Jacksonville area who receive this treatment are encouraged to exercise the legs regularly in order to speed up the healing process.

Foam Sclerotherapy

Foam Sclerotherapy is a varicose treatment where the patient's blood vessel is injected with foam sclerosant drugs through use of a syringe. The drugs used for this procedure are either Sodium Tetradecyl Sulfate or Polidocanol. During this vein treatment, the drugs are blended together with CO₂ and air either inside the syringe or through the use of a mechanical pump. The mixture of drugs, CO₂ and air gives the solution a wider reach than what is used in liquid sclerotherapy, because it doesn't mix with the blood that is inside the vessel. It instead displaces it. Because of this, the drug does not become diluted by the blood and is able to cause the maximum amount of sclerosant action. This makes foam sclerotherapy more effective in treating larger and longer varicose veins.