Roughly ane out of five adults in the U.S. will go varicose veins at some signal in their lives. Although they occur more than often in older people, varicose veins can occasionally bear witness up in younger people too. The hope of most patients who undergo varicose vein surgery is that the results volition last a lifetime, but according to certified vascular doctors, that isn't always the case.

"My patients oftentimes ask 'will varicose veins come dorsum after treatment?'" says Richard Teed, Yard.D., a board-certified vascular surgeon with Vascular Specialists of Central Florida. "Unfortunately nosotros know varicose veins are a chronic condition, and although we have many modalities bachelor to us to treat them, there's always that chance downwards the road that these varicose veins can come dorsum."

What Are Varicose Veins?

Varicose veins are dilated, superficial veins acquired by a weakening in the blood vessel walls. They can affect whatsoever claret vessel in the torso but mainly appear in the lower legs and pelvis. Varicose veins can range from spider veins (dilated capillaries on the surface of muscle tissue) to larger, bulging routes in patients' legs, known equally truncal varicosities.

Varicose veins do non pose any health threat to a patient. They typically arise every bit a result of extended sitting or standing, where increased pressure moves downward the legs causing valvular dysfunction and leading blood vessels to dilate.

Other factors that can predispose people to develop varicose veins include:

Gender – The prevalence of varicose veins is higher among women (55%) compared to men (45%). Pregnancy and other hormonal influences like puberty or menopause can increase the gamble, equally well as the apply of some birth command medication. teed with patient

Age – The risk for varicose veins tends to increase with age because veins lose elasticity, which causes them to stretch.

Weight – People who are overweight are twice as likely to develop varicose veins equally people who are not, while obese people are iii times equally likely to be afflicted by them.

Related health conditions – Having claret clots or other ailments that create pressure level in the abdomen, such as constipation or tumors, tin can increase the risk for varicose veins.

How Are Varicose Veins Treated?

Depending on the size and scope of the condition, a patient's health status and medical history, different modalities are used to treat varicose veins including:

  • VNUS radiofrequency ablation (a minimally-invasive outpatient procedure that uses radiofrequency pulses to close off a vein)
  • Phlebectomy (a small surgical process that removes bulging veins from the leg)
  • Sclerotherapy (a technique mainly used to care for spider veins – a substance is injected into the leg causing veins to plough white and disappear)
  • Vein stripping (a surgical procedure to remove long veins from the leg)

Why Do Varicose Veins Recur?

There are iii main reasons why varicose veins may reappear afterward treatment:

  • The incorrect veins were treated, to begin with
  • The right veins were treated, but using the least optimal technique
  • New varicose veins formed due to further blood valve failure

According to Dr. Teed, treatment-related recurrence is not the just cause for the reappearance of varicose veins. "Varicose veins are also more probable to recur in patients who have risk factors such as continuing for long periods of time or a genetic component with a family history that tin contribute to making this potentially an upshot that volition recur down the road," he explains.

"The important affair to recollect is that even if they practice come dorsum, we can always treat them again in the same way and promise for success."

The all-time defense confronting experiencing treatment-related recurrence is to visit a vascular specialist trained to administer the most effective varicose vein procedures and techniques.