So you’ve decided to have your varicose veins treated? Good for you! While as many as 40% of the male population and 60% of the female population suffers from varicose veins, only a small percentage of those who suffer from varicose veins take the initiative to have their venous disorder treated. It’s not surprising that they don’t; many people are discouraged from vein treatment because of horror stories of vein stripping surgery. Vein stripping is an outdated varicose vein treatment that was painful, took a long time to recover from, and most of the time wasn’t effective.
Today’s procedures are much less invasive, much more effective, and require less recovery time. So what can you expect when visiting the doctor to have your varicose veins removed?
Choosing a Doctor
Make sure that you have a phlebologist perform your treatment rather than a dermatologist or general practitioner. While other doctors may be able to perform the treatments, a phlebologist undergoes many years of training beyond medical school to learn how to diagnose and treat venous disorder and will be the most qualified to effectively perform your treatment. Find a phlebologist in your area.
Getting an Ultrasound
Though your doctor will be able to see your varicose veins through your legs, he/she will need to do an ultrasound mapping of your venous disorder in order to identify all of your damaged veins and to discover the source of your problem. By mapping out your problem veins, your doctor will be able to fully treat the issues in order to prevent varicose veins from returning after treatment.
Discussing Potential Treatments
Current treatments for getting rid of varicose veins include sclerotherapy, endovenous laser treatment, Veinwave, and laser therapy. Your doctor should go over the treatments with you and suggest one that will be the most effective considering the extent of your venous disorder and the location of your varicose veins.
Cost of Treatment
Your doctor should discuss the cost of the different treatments with you and discuss whether or not you should expect for your health insurance to cover the treatment. If you want health insurance to cover the treatment, you may need to wear compression stockings for a period of time before treatment in order to qualify for insurance coverage. To get an idea of the potential costs of treatment before visiting your doctor, use our varicose vein treatment cost calculator.
Multiple Treatments May Be Needed
A single treatment may not be enough to completely eradicate your varicose veins. Be prepared to discuss how many treatments will be needed with your doctor and what costs will be associated with each treatment.
Going Back to Work
Recovery time for current vein treatments is minimal—many people go back to work the same day that they receive treatment. Depending on the procedure performed, you may need to wear compression stockings for a week or so while your legs heal in order to reduce the likelihood of your varicose veins returning and to promote proper healing.