Varithena Vein Treatment Lubbock TX

Varithena (polidocanol injectable foam) is a prescription medicine that is used for the treatment of varicose veins which is caused by problems associated with the great saphenous vein (GSV) and other related veins found in the leg’s great saphenous vein system. 

Varithena also helps to improve the related symptoms which are caused by varicose veins. It helps to improve the appearance of the varicose veins.

What are Varicose veins?

Varicose veins are bulging and enlarged veins that commonly occur in the leg’s great saphenous vein (GSV) system. Varicose veins occur as a result of the weakness of the tiny valves that are inside the veins. When the tiny valves fail to keep blood from running backward from the heart and back down into the legs, it leads to varicose veins.

Varicose veins are enlarged, swollen and twisted veins that mostly appear on the legs and feet. Varicose veins are caused when the valves in the veins are not working properly, hence hindering the effective flow of blood. Varicose veins occur when the valves are not working properly or they have become loose and flabby. 

Varicose veins are usually visible, they are often blue in color and are mostly found in the legs of elderly people. It can cause uncomfortable symptoms such as swelling and achiness. 

Causes of Varicose veins 

Varicose veins are mostly caused by weak or damaged valves.

The arteries are responsible for the transfer of blood from the heart to the other tissues in the body. The veins are responsible for the transfer of blood from the other parts of the body to the heart.

The veins transfer blood from the legs to the heart and for that to be possible the veins in the legs must work against gravity. The muscles in the legs contract and acts as pumps and the veins are able to return blood back to the heart. 

As blood flows from the legs to the heart, the valves in the veins open and then closes back to prevent the blood from flowing backward. 

In case the valve gets ruptured, weak, lose, or damaged, it can’t work properly anymore. The valve can’t prevent blood from flowing downwards to the legs, thereby causing a pool of blood in the veins. The veins then begin to stretch, get swollen, or twist.

Symptoms of varicose veins

You may not feel any pain in early and mild cases of varicose veins. You will start to feel pains and experience an increased level of symptoms when it gets worse. Early signs include:

• The veins in your lower legs turn blue or purple in color.
• Veins appear bigger and bulging
• The veins in your legs become twisted.

When it gets worse, you may start experiencing symptoms such as:

• Itching around the area
• Your legs begin to feel heavy.
• Muscle swelling and cramping in your lower legs
• Burning sensation in your lower legs
• You begin to feel more pain when sitting or standing

Who is at higher risk of developing varicose veins

There are different factors that could increase the risk of developing varicose veins.  

These include:

• Gender – Varicose veins affect mostly women. It also affects women in their pre-menstruation stage or menopause stage. This is because of the hormonal changes that occur during these conditions. The hormones tend to relax vein’s walls, causing varicose veins.
• Pregnancy – Pregnancy is also a factor that increases the risk of developing varicose veins. This is because when a woman is pregnant, the volume of the body increases and the volume of the blood in the body also increases. This causes the veins in the leg to enlarge. Hormonal changes that occur during pregnancy also cause varicose veins.
• Age – Older people are mostly affected by varicose veins. When an individual grows older, the body starts to experience wear and tears. The valve also experiences wears and tears. This wears and tears cause the valves not to properly function anymore, leading to varicose veins.
• Obesity – People that are overweight also have a higher risk of developing varicose veins due to the pressure their weight exerts on the veins in their legs.
• Standing or sitting for too long – Standing or sitting in a position for too long hinders the effective flow of blood which causes varicose veins.
• Family history – Individuals with a family history of varicose veins have a greater risk of developing it.

Diagnosis of varicose veins

Your doctor will examine your legs while you are standing up to check for swelling and signs of varicose veins. You will be asked some medical questions and the nature of the pain you feel. 

You may need to undergo ultrasound so that your doctor will know if your veins are still in good functional condition. It ultrasound can be done with the use of a transducer. Images of your veins are transmitted from the transducer to a monitor, where the doctor views your veins for any defects.

Types of veins treated with Varithena

Varithena can be used for the treatment of a wide range of varicose veins in the great saphenous vein system. However, it does not treat all forms of varicose veins. The types of veins that can be treated with Varithena include:

• The veins above and below the knee
• The veins with small, medium, and large diameters
• The tortuous (twisted) veins
• The veins that have been previously treated with other treatment methods but didn’t yield good results. 

Why Varithena is the right choice for the treatment of varicose veins

Before undergoing a Varithena treatment you have to first talk with your doctor to know if it is the right treatment option for you.

Your doctor may likely choose Varithena as a treatment option for varicose veins because:

• Unlike other treatment options and therapies, Varithena is an effective treatment method for the treatment of varicose veins. It is an effective treatment method for treating veins of different sizes above and below the knee.
  
• Varithena requires no incisions, sedation or general anesthesia.
  
• It is a minimally invasive, nonsurgical procedure.
  
• It is administered in as little portion as one or two needle sticks per treatment.
  
• The treatment does not require insertion of a wire along the length of your veins.
  
• It does not involve the use of glue and it easily dissolves in the bloodstream after the treatment is completed. It leaves no foreign bodies in the veins.
  
• It does not involve the use of heat which eliminates the risk of thermal injury.
  
• After the treatment, you may be able to resume normal activities that same day. 

How Varithena treatment is done

Varithena is a simple treatment. It can be easily treated by Dr. Joe Wolcott at the Southwest Regional Wound Care Center. Your doctor may numb the injection site to reduce or prevent you from feeling pains. He will then administer a small amount of Varithena (polidocanol injectable foam) into the malfunctioning vein using a catheter or by direct injection. 

The foam then fills and treats the targeted section of the vein by displacing the blood within the malfunctioning or diseased vein and causes the vein to collapse. The foam is deactivated after the diseased vein has collapsed. When the malfunctioning or diseased vein has collapsed, blood vein then shifts from the collapsed vein to the healthier veins that are nearby.

Blood no longer flows back down the leg but flows upward and out of the leg through healthier veins. After the injection is administered, your doctor may apply bandages and compression stockings to the leg.

The treatment takes less than 30 minutes to be completed.

After Varithena treatment

After the treatment;

• You can resume your normal daily activities the same day.
• You may be required to avoid heavy exercises for one week.
• You will need to keep your post-treatment bandages dry and perfectly in place for 48 hours. You must wear the compression stockings on the treated leg for 2 weeks.
• You will be required to walk for a minimum of 10 minutes every day for a month and also avoid long periods of inactivity. 

Varithena treatment Results

Verithena is proven to improve symptoms of heaviness, achiness, swelling, throbbing, and itching.

It also improves vein appearance.

Most patients only need a single treatment. However, additional treatment may be required depending on the number and the sizes of veins to be treated.

Dr. Joe Wolcott: The best doctor for the treatment of Varithena Vein in Lubbock, Tx

Dr. Joe Wolcott is a native of Texas. He was born in Lubbock in 1979. He had a strong family background in medicine which increased his interest to go into the field of medicine.

Dr. Wolcott graduated from Texas Tech University with a Bachelor of Science in Cell and Molecular Biology in 2001. He received his Doctor of Medicine from Texas Tech School of Medicine in 2006. He went further to complete his residency in Internal Medicine at the Texas Tech SOM Health Sciences Center in Lubbock in 2009.

Under the mentorship of his uncle, Dr. Wolcott began training in wound care. He has worked as a hospitalist and wound care physician over the past ten years.

He is a Certified Wound Specialist and board-certified in Internal Medicine. He specializes in Varithena vein treatment. He is arguably the best Varithena vein specialist found in Lubbock and around Texas.