Varicose veins—those visibly dilated, bluish or reddish sinuous veins—are the result of poor blood circulation. Usually affecting the legs, they can cause pain, numbness, itchiness, cramps, swelling, fatigue and a feeling of heaviness or even burning. Aside from being unaesthetic, they can also become dangerous over time, potentially producing varicose ulcers (in the most severe cases), hemorrhages or thromboses (blood clots). If you think you might have a venous disease, it’s a good idea to consult a specialist in phlebology—the medical field that focuses on vein health—to find out more about your condition and determine the appropriate treatment, if needed.

“No matter the treatment selected with the phlebology expert, the goal is to dry up the vein, as it’s impossible to repair once diseased,” explains Dr. Dominic St-Amour, a phlebologist and the medical director of the Medicart Montréal clinic. “Contrary to popular belief, drying up or removing a sick vein that is creating pressure on others promotes better blood circulation and, therefore, better venous health.”

Some of the most popular and effective procedures for treating varicose veins are:

1) sclerotherapy by injection, where a saline solution is injected into the sick vein to create an “injury” that will scar, drying it up and redirecting blood to healthy veins nearby;

2) ultrasound sclerotherapy, which is endovenous chemical ablation of the largest varicose veins carried out the same way as conventional sclerotherapy but using ultrasound technology and a stronger medication;

3) thermal endoveanous treatment by Venefit radio waves, an alternative to traditional surgery that involves the ablation of the vein using radio-frequency energy; 

4) the VenaSeal® procedure, which uses a small quantity of a specially formulated medical adhesive to seal—or “close up”—the sick vein.

These treatments are safe, non-invasive or minimally invasive, involve very little pain and don’t require a lengthy recovery. Plus, most of them alleviate any pain or other symptoms caused by varicose veins almost immediately. They are all available throughout the network of Medicart clinics—the phlebology reference in Canada—in Ottawa, Montreal and Quebec. For more information, please visit Medicart.com.

Please take note that it is important to choose a safe and professional clinic for this type of treatment.