- The angiology and vascular surgery service of the hospital San Carlos Office of the HLA Group offers its patients novel surgical and non-invasive techniques
- Dr. Miguel León Donoso, performs a personalized assessment of each case to apply the most timely and safest technique for the patient.
The arrival of heat aggravates the symptoms of varicose veins and intensifies the sensation of swelling, heaviness and itching, the main discomforts caused by this disease. Dr. Miguel León Donoso, a specialist in angiology and vascular surgery at the San Carlos hospital, explains that “varicose veins are dilations of the veins due to accumulation of blood and the symptoms depend on their evolution. There are different types of treatment to alleviate its symptoms, starting with the simple bandaging of the extremity to surgery and more or less aggressive methods.
The first symptoms that may appear, apart from the aesthetic component, are heaviness, fatigue and edema of the limb, especially in the morning. Later, the symptoms can present pigmentation of the skin, hardening of the skin and ulcerations that are really difficult to treat.
The main cause or reason for the appearance of varicose veins is the incompetence of the venous valves that allow blood to flow backwards towards the foot and as a consequence of this the veins dilate progressively and irreversibly.
“In addition to having a hereditary factor, the incompetence of the venous valves occurs fundamentally as a consequence of working standing or sitting for prolonged periods, since in these positions the calf muscle pump does not work, causing blood stagnation. in the veins Other factors also play a role, such as pregnancy in women and intense exercise such as lifting weights, which increases intra-abdominal pressure and acts as a stopper for the return of venous blood from the extremities to the general circulation”, assures our specialist.
Transmission
Within the therapeutic arsenal for the treatment of varicose veins there are surgical methods. Among them is saphenectomy or phleboextraction, a technique that consists of removing the dilated saphenous vein and its branches. "This technique is still widely accepted and is practiced in many health centers, but it is very important to choose a health center with guarantees and a team of highly qualified professionals for this technique," explains Dr. León Donoso.
Sometimes, this intervention can cause bruising along the route of the removed vein, which takes about a month to disappear. It can also cause between 1% and 2% wound infection.
Dr. León explains that “in the past few years, less invasive techniques such as laser, radiofrequency, Clarivein®, Flebogriff® and obliteration of the saphenous vein with microfoam have proliferated in the face of this surgical technique. These techniques are based on the elimination of the varicose vein through thermoablation, mechanical or chemical action or a combination of the two. It has been shown that these techniques offer advantages over open surgery, since they have fewer complications and a better recovery, which is why they are increasingly popular and are already practiced in many health centers”.
Currently the least aggressive and most effective method of choice is laser diode.
This method uses heat to obliterate the saphenous vein through a catheter that is inserted from the knee with local anesthesia or sedation, depending on the case, and that produces occlusion of the vein as the catheter is withdrawn.
El Dr Leon indicates that “the treatment is performed on an outpatient basis, in the operating room, by channeling the dilated vein and using an ultrasound machine. The patient is discharged in a few hours and can continue with his daily activity”.
All these techniques complement each other and can be used at different times in the same patient depending on individual needs.
