If appropriate for your condition, we will first offer you non-invasive treatments. We might prescribe compression stockings to relieve your venous disease. Compression socks help blood move back to the heart. Your doctor may also recommend medications. Blood thinners (anticoagulants) and clot-busting medications called thrombolytics can help prevent clots from forming.
With this type of monitoring, called watchful waiting, you will undergo regularly scheduled medical imaging tests. If your condition changes enough to require additional treatment, your doctor may recommend a minimally invasive procedure or surgery.
When appropriate, we may recommend minimally invasive treatments. We use the most effective, least invasive procedure possible. Advantages of minimally invasive procedures include:
- Smaller incisions
- Less trauma, blood loss and pain
- Fewer complications
- Shorter hospital stay
- Faster recovery times
Minimally invasive procedures we perform include sclerotherapy, where your doctor injects a chemical solution into the vein, causing it to gradually disappear, and vein sealing, where your doctor uses a catheter (narrow, flexible tube) to seal diseased veins with a medical adhesive and reroute blood flow. We also perform endovenous laser therapy (EVLT) and radiofrequency ablation (RFA), where your doctor inserts a catheter with a heated tip to destroy damaged areas of the vein. These treatments use a laser fiber or radiofrequency energy.
Call 1-800-SENTARA (1-800-736-8272) to learn more.