Having varicose veins seems to be a cosmetic challenge – an everyday battle against insecurities, shame, and low self-esteem caused by the occurrence of bulging, swollen, and enlarged veins in your legs. But in reality, having varicose veins indicates a health risk – more than a cosmetic challenge.
Varicose veins know nothing about humans – our race, age, culture, nor ethnicity. The moment it appears commonly into your legs, it alerts you to be cautious in your daily lifestyle and to change your habits. However, in the milestone of dermatology, physicians have formulated ways to minimize the appearance of varicose veins.
You don’t need another scar to ruin your life. Radiofrequency Ablation will help your fight against low self-esteem, legs shaming, and insecurities.
Get to know more about Radiofrequency Ablation and how it helps your life to become more bearable in this article.
What is Radio Frequency Ablation?
Radiofrequency Ablation (RFA) is one of the minimal evasive treatments for varicose veins that uses radiofrequency waves to ablate or “burn” the nerve that causes the numbing pain.
Varicose veins cause a heavy feeling in the legs and feet, itching, which disturbs your sanity in the long run. When varicose veins are left untreated, fatal symptoms occur, such as venous ulcers, blood clots, skin hyperpigmentation, lipodermatosclerosis, and deep vein thrombosis.
That’s why instead of laser energy and surgical operations, radiofrequency energy will heat up and damage the vein walls, causing scar tissue to heal and close the vein.
How does Radio Frequency treat Varicose Veins?
Radiofrequency ablation uses a radiofrequency catheter (a thin tube) inserted through a small incision in the vein, which will be guided by ultrasound. Through thermal energy as high as 120 degrees celsius, the catheter heats the veil wall as delivered by a generator. The heat causes the gradual elimination of the intima (or the innermost layer of the affected vein) that results in contraction and thickening of collagen fibers.
During the procedure, your doctor will inject a numbing medicine to the affected leg. When your legs start to numb, your doctor will insert a small needle to make a small hole in the varicose vein. Here, a vascular access catheter with a thermal source will ablate the vein (for children available various options of a neonatal catheter with thin picc line). Then, the vein will close off.
If you are planning to treat your varicose veins through radiofrequency ablation treatment, consider asking questions, and visit Elite Vein Clinic about the costs, procedures, and clinical practices.
Who Are Good Candidates For Radiofrequency Ablation?
Doctors ensure that an affected vein has a reasonably straight position to make a smooth passage of the laser fiber of the RFA catheter. In other words, if you have larger varicose veins, a greater saphenous vein along the thigh, or small saphenous vein in the back of the calf, then you are a fit candidate for Radiofrequency Ablation treatment.
How Long Does Radiofrequency Ablation take?
An ideal time for an RFA session would take 45 minutes to one hour. You don’t need to be nervous about getting too much pain. Your doctor will provide you local anesthetics to help you stay comfortable.
Also, consider looking for a compression of the insertion site for at least several days following your procedure. Your doctors will likely recommend you on keeping your legs elevated to prevent further bruising.
What to prepare before undergoing Radiofrequency Treatments?
Preparations before your RFA session helps the fast recovery of your varicose vein treatment. This preparation is purposely not only for Radiofrequency Treatments, but also it can be applied for Laser Ablation.
- Take your maintenance capsules an hour before the procedure if you were prescribed sedative medication;
- Make sure that you have someone to drive from you going to the clinic and back to your home if you’ve taken a sedative before the RFA procedure;
- On the day of your RFA session, secure a compression stockings to be used after the procedure;
- Wear loose, comfortable clothing. Avoid wearing tight compressions and jeans; and
- Also, bring an extra undergarment since the procedure may affect the entire leg, including your groin area.
What will you expect during and after the procedures?
During the procedure, your doctor will inject a numbing medicine to the affected leg. When your legs start to numb, your doctor will insert a small needle to make a small hole in the varicose vein. Here, the catheter with a thermal source will ablate the vein. Then, the vein will close off.
After the procedure, you’ll rarely feel pain as the local anesthetic numbs your leg. Your leg will be wrapped with a snug compression as directed. Strenuous activities will be limited for two to three weeks, depending on your carefulness. Again, always keep your legs elevated to ensure that it receives no bruises.
How well does it work?
The Peripheral Vascular Associates (Doctors of Arteries and Veins) reveals that 97 out of 100 people have recovered from varicose veins through Radiofrequency Ablation. The successful treatment lies in the very experience of your doctor on how he examines your venous condition and how he treats the same.
You’ll expect that after two years, counting from the time of your operation, results will generally be as good as vein surgical operation.
Key Takeaways
Having varicose veins seems to be a cosmetic challenge – an everyday battle against insecurities, shame, and low self-esteem caused by the occurrence of bulging, swollen, and enlarged veins in your legs.
But having varicose veins indicates a health risk, most especially when left untreated, can potentially cause severe and fatal health complications.
Thankfully, you don’t need to undergo painful and complicated surgical operations that involve large incisions and scars. Radiofrequency Ablation is now available for a minimally invasive treatment for your varicose veins.
In Radiofrequency Ablation (RFA), always remember that radiofrequency waves ablate or burn the vein walls in the affected vein, causing tissues to close and heal. As a result, it gives you a bearable feeling and a comfortable life, getting away with the nerves which transmit pain signals to your brain.
Henceforth, Radiofrequency is one of the best ways to treat varicose veins in minimally invasive ways. You don’t need to add another scar to ruin the beauty of your life. Through RFA, treating varicose veins is becoming better!
The Editorial Team at Healthcare Business Today is made up of skilled healthcare writers and experts, led by our managing editor, Daniel Casciato, who has over 25 years of experience in healthcare writing. Since 1998, we have produced compelling and informative content for numerous publications, establishing ourselves as a trusted resource for health and wellness information. We offer readers access to fresh health, medicine, science, and technology developments and the latest in patient news, emphasizing how these developments affect our lives.
