Varicose veins

You don’t have to tolerate the leg pain, swelling and fatigue caused by varicose veins – and you don’t need major surgery to repair them. Park Nicollet Vascular Surgery uses VNUS® ClosureFast™, the latest minimally invasive surgical treatment, for eliminating painful and unsightly varicose veins.

Benefits

• Quick recovery time
• Outpatient procedure
• Minimal pain
• Eliminates the need for vein stripping, the painful procedure previously used for removing diseased veins

Park Nicollet’s three board-certified vascular surgeons perform the VNUS ClosureFast treatment more than any other health group in Minnesota.

About varicose veins

Varicose veins are abnormally enlarged veins close to your skin’s surface. They usually occur in the legs and feet, because standing and walking increases pressure in the veins in your lower body. When the veins stretch and become weak, blood pools in the veins, which enlarge and become varicose.

Symptoms

• A dull, heavy ache in your legs, especially after standing for a long time
• Purple bulging veins seen easily under your skin
• Leg swelling
• Itching around the veins
• Brown or gray discoloration on your ankle
• Skin ulcers near your ankle

Tests

Your doctor may use a variety of tests to evaluate your veins, including:

• Examining legs while you are standing, to look for swelling and other signs of varicose veins
• Venous Doppler ultrasound exam is performed to obtain detailed information about your veins

Treatment

Treatment for varicose veins may vary depending on the severity of the problem.

• VNUS ClosureFast, a minimally invasive treatment, to reroute blood flow
• Vein stripping, a rarely used procedure that involves removing a vein
• Ambulatory phlebectomy, an outpatient procedure using micro incisions