Is Vein Removal (Microphlebectomy) right for me?
Occasionally, varicose veins near the surface of the skin are too large to treat with sclerotherapy (which may cause brown pigment spots with larger veins close to the skin surface) and are too small to treat with laser ablation.
In these cases, microphlebectomy, also referred to as an ambulatory phlebectomy, is sometimes recommended to treat and remove unsightly or painful leg veins close to the skin’s surface.
With microphlebectomy, varicose vein removal is accomplished by gently pulling the diseased veins through small punctures using a very small instrument that looks like a crochet hook. The vein removal procedure is performed under local anesthesia and the small incisions leave virtually no scars. This vein removal technique differs significantly from vein stripping and should not be confused with that procedure. This varicose vein removal technique is also usually and adjunct procedure to an RFA or the VNUS Closure Procedure for best varicose vein removal results.
Other aspects of microphlebectomy (varicose vein removal)
- Minimally invasive
- Usually only requires local anesthesia to numb the skin over the vein
- Performed through a series of small punctures
- It is frequently used in combination with sclerotherapy (if a portion of the varicose vein’s course goes deeper under the skin’s surface)
- Little or no down time — usual daily activities resumed immediately following the procedure
- Compression dressing usually worn for one week following the procedure
- Patients asked to avoid strenuous activities for one week
Risks to this procedure include mild discomfort or bruising for a few days at the removal site. Occasionally there may be slight injury to small skin nerves that lie close to the vein removed — this is injury is rare and these nerves usually heal over time.
If you are interested in learning more about varicose vein removal procedures available at the Vein & Vascular Clinic of Texas in McKinney, give us a call at 972-529-6939 to schedule a Free Varicose Vein Screening.
