Are vein treatments permanent?

Have you ever wondered if vein treatments are permanent?

According to Dr. Cindy Asbjornsen, founder of the Vein Healthcare Center, the short answer is yes. However, that does not mean that a person who has one vein issue will never have another problematic vein.

What that means is once a vein is treated with a modern procedure, such as endovenous ablation, or “EVLA,” the success rates quoted in the supporting literature vary from the high 80th percentile to the high 90th percentile. In other words, less than 20 percent of patients will need to have the vein that was treated ever treated again.

Dr. Asbjornsen explains: “When I see most of my patients for a six or 12 month follow up, the problematic vein that underwent treatment is completely reabsorbed by the body. Because that vein no longer exists, it cannot cause problems in the future.”

Though the treated vein is taken care of, all the veins in the body have the same genetic makeup and have been exposed to the same environmental stresses (generally speaking) and thus, have the same risk of failing. Thus, if a patient has one bad vein, it is possible that at some point they will have other bad veins.

For this reason, Dr. Asbjornsen tries to spend time with patients at every visit counseling him or her on healthy tips for healthy veins. Small lifestyle changes can make a big difference in managing chronic venous issues and preventing additional problems.

Knowledge is Power

If you’ve thought about “doing something” about your varicose veins or heavy, achy legs but aren’t sure what exactly to do, here’s a suggestion: learn more vein disease and the available options for treatment. By reading this blog you’re on your way, and in this post we’re going to get more specific. After all, knowledge is power!

When researching on the Web, go to trusted sites that specialize in phlebology (the study of vein disease and vein healthcare), such as the American College of Phlebology (www.phlebology.org) and the American Venous Forum (www.veinforum.org). The Vein Healthcare Center website also provides reliable information for both patients and physicians (www.veinhealthcare.com).

If you prefer reading books to screens, then check out our previous post about vein health books.

Gathering information is important, but don’t worry yourself needlessly because of too many visits to WebMD! If you really want to understand the root of your vein problems—and possible treatments—then a visit to a Board-certified vein specialist is best.