Varicose veins

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Circulatory system

Varicose veins

Varicosity; Varicosis

Treatment is usually conservative. The patient will be asked to avoid excess standing, elevate the legs when resting or sleeping, and to wear elastic support hose.

Treatment may be requested to improve the appearance. Surgery such as vein stripping and ligation (removal of the varicose vein), or sclerotherapy of veins (injecting with a solution that causes scarring, which closes the vein) may be recommended. Vein stripping is a very extensive procedure, and it is usually reserved for patients who are experiencing a lot of pain or who have skin ulcers.

Varicose veins tend to worsen over time. Discomfort and progression may be lessened with self care.

• Phlebitis (chronic inflammation of the vein)
• Formation of leg ulcers
• Rupture of a varicose vein

Call for an appointment with your health care provider if varicose veins are painful, or if they worsen or do not improve with self-treatment, such as keeping legs elevated or avoiding excessive standing.

Also call if complications occur, including a sudden increase in pain or swelling, fever, redness of the leg, or the development of leg ulcers.

Review Date: 01/22/2007
Reviewed By: Benjamin W. Van Voorhees, MD, MPH, Assistant Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.