Varicose veins are painful, gnarled, enlarged veins that most commonly appear on the legs and feet. They occur when the valves inside the vein are too weak or damaged to push blood back to the heart. As a result, blood flows backward (reflux), pools inside the vein and causes it to swell. Varithena® and VenaSealTM are two FDA-approved, minimally invasive treatment methods commonly used to minimize the appearance of varicose veins in the great saphenous vein, the longest vein in your body.

What are the benefits of Varithena?

Varithena is a minimally invasive procedure that closes the varicose veins using an FDA-approved injectable foam. Additional benefits:

• Varithena is considered the least traumatic form of varicose vein treatment, even as an alternative to ClariVein and VenaSeal.
• Varithena is fast and simple. The entire procedure takes about 20 minutes and does not require anesthesia.
• Varithena starts working immediately, reducing the appearance of varicose veins. Leg pain is alleviated as well.
• Varithena requires very little downtime. In most cases, you can resume normal daily activities immediately.
• Varithena is covered by many major insurance plans.

What are the benefits of VenaSeal?

VenaSeal is a minimally invasive, non-thermal, non-sclerosant ablation procedure that uses a formulated medical adhesive to close the diseased vein. Here are the benefits of VenaSeal:

• VenaSeal treatment is entirely non-thermal. It does not require tumescent anesthesia, which means less needle sticks and a more comfortable procedure for you.
• VenaSeal is nondestructive, which means you can get back to your daily activities right away.
• VenaSeal results in less post-procedure pain and bruising than other ablation techniques.
• VenaSeal does not require the use of compression stockings following the procedure.

How are Varithena and VenaSeal different?

The Varithena technique uses sclerosing foam to close abnormal veins and restore healthy circulation. The foam is injected directly into the vein using a small, thin catheter. This foam irritates the lining of the vein, causing it to collapse.

The VenaSeal system delivers a small amount of a specially formulated medical adhesive via a small catheter to seal—or close—the diseased vein, which reroutes the blood to nearby healthy veins.

If you’d like to learn more about the differences between the Varithena and VenaSeal techniques or find out which one is right for you, contact Carolina Vein Specialists at 336-218-8346.