Michael Cornwell, MD, FACS, is the Lead Physician in the Bensalem, PA, and Horsham, PA, Center for Vein Restoration (CVR) locations. In this video, he describes the patient experience while undergoing the non-surgical sclerotherapy procedure using Varithena®.
Dr. Cornwell characterizes the process as “mostly painless.” He says that the initial needle stick will “hurt a little bit, like a blood draw,” but once it is in position, the patient usually does not feel the needle.
Additionally, the patient usually does not feel the injection of the Varithena foam into the vein. However, there might be a mild sensation of burning if the vein is positioned right at or beneath the skin according to Dr. Cornwell. In that case, the patient may feel stinging from the small amount of alcohol mixed in the Varithena foam.
After the procedure, the patient’s leg is wrapped with an Ace™ bandage and pressure is applied where the vein once was. Dr. Cornwell explains that the immediate pressure is important because the vein sometimes “wants to re-open.” The pressure keeps the vein closed while the blood makes a new pathway, and the vein shuts down.
After the leg is wrapped, the patient can simply get up and leave the treatment room. This this instant gratification is particularly exciting for Dr. Cornwell. He expresses satisfaction that his patients see and feel immediate results with no downtime, calling it “great for the patient and nice for the staff.”
Patients are encouraged to walk and be active after the procedure. This “muscle action in the legs keeps the blood flowing to other veins and reduces the risk of a blood clot forming,” explains Dr. Cornwell. A blood clot is one of the potential complications of any vein procedure, he adds.
The only restriction in the days following this procedure is not lifting more than twenty-five pounds because lifting generates pressure that can re-open a vein.
This non-surgical, minimally-invasive procedure using Varithena resolves many different types of varicose veins, reducing the associated itching, throbbing, swelling, aching, and heaviness. Find out if you are a candidate for this treatment! Call 240-965-3915 or visit centerforvein.com.
Center for Vein Restoration (CVR) vein disease expert Michael Cornwell, MD, FACS, describes what Varithena® is and how it is used to treat varicose veins.
Truncal leg veins, including the great saphenous and small saphenous veins, are deeper, are not usually visible, and tend to feed varicose veins.
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