Varicose Veins FAQ

What are the risks of leaving varicose veins untreated?

Dilated or varicose veins commonly produce symptoms of leg discomfort, aching and swelling and place you at risk for blood clots that may form in your legs’ veins. Superficial vein blood clots are quite painful and take a number of weeks to resolve. Blood clots in deep veins of the leg pose a more serious health risk. Skin breakdown may occur with more advanced varicose veins or venous disease.

Where are varicose vein treatment procedures performed and how long do they take?

All of the vein treatments are performed in a Capitol Vein & Laser Center office. Each location is a state of the art facility with specialized treatment rooms, vascular testing and all equipment necessary to safely perform required varicose vein procedures. The Venefit Procedure (formerly VNUS Closure) takes approximately 30 minutes. You can expect to be at our office for typically one hour due to normal pre and post treatment measures. Microphlebectomy procedures generally last about 30 minutes as well.

Is the Venefit procedure painful?

Varicose vein patients report feeling little, if any discomfort during the Venefit procedure. We use a local anesthetic (lidocaine) to numb the treatment area. This anesthetic is delivered through injections and involves a brief "stick and burn" at the site before becoming numb.

When can I return to normal activities?

Most varicose vein patients resume normal activities immediately following Venefit (VNUS Closure) or microphlebectomy. Some even return to work the same day. We encourage you to walk and be active, while refraining from exercise and heavy lifting for three days.

Is there scarring, bruising or swelling after Venefit?

Patients report minimal to no scarring, bruising or swelling following the Closure procedure.

How soon after treatment will my symptoms improve?

Most patients notice improvement in varicose vein symptoms within one to two weeks. Some patients may require microphlebectomy or sclerotherapy for any remaining visible veins.

What are the risks of the Venefit procedure?

As with any medical intervention, potential risks do exist when treating varicose veins. Fortunately, associated complications are extremely rare. Your physician will review these with you during your office visits and answer any questions you may have. It is important to us that you completely understand any procedure before we proceed.

Will all my varicose veins disappear after Venefit?

The bulging varicose veins that you can see under the skin are coming from a vein deeper in your leg that has venous reflux (leaking valves). Vein treatments are done in steps, first treating the source (insufficient vein with reflux) via Venefit (VNUS Closure), and then evaluating the response of the varicose branches. Some varicose veins will regress completely with compression following the Venefit procedure. Others, however, have been enlarged for so long that they have lost the elasticity and capability to regress completely. In this case, a treatment called microphlebectomy can be performed comfortably in the office to eliminate unhealthy, unsightly veins that remain.