Some patients who want their varicose veins removed do so for cosmetic reasons. But for people like Abby Braaten of Bowman, North Dakota, there was something more.
“If I did any kind of jumping, like jumping on the trampoline with my kids, or any kind of cardiovascular activity, then I would get a shooting pain in my leg,” Braaten said. “One time I got hit by a softball, another time my kid just kicked, not even hard, and it blew up like a baseball. That’s when I reached out.”
What are varicose veins?
Varicose veins are bulging, superficial veins near the surface of the skin. When the valves in these veins stop working properly, blood can pool and the veins can bulge outward. Not all varicose veins cause pain, but Braaten’s did.
He was referred to Sanford Health in Bismarck and interventional radiologist Andrew Miller, MD, who explained that removing the varicose veins does not block blood flow.
“Ninety percent of the people I deal with ask the same question: ‘Where is the blood going to go?’ Don’t I need this?’ And I tell them, these veins we’re treating don’t work. They do nothing for you. The blood just sits there and collects and causes pain and discomfort,” Dr. Miller said.
“We’re closing something that doesn’t work. We’re putting it into a deeper system that’s working properly, and that’s going to improve your traffic.”
Treatment options for varicose veins
Dr. Miller said the majority of his varicose vein patients have their problematic veins removed. However, Braaten needed three different minimally invasive procedures to treat the veins in both legs:
- Phlebectomyor removal of the vein
- Intravenous laser ablation (EVLA), which seals a vein using heat from a laser
- Sclerotherapyin which a chemical is injected into the vein, restricting the flow and eventually causing the varicocele to disappear
“All three were necessary because there were different types of veins and none of these options could address them all,” Dr. Miller said. “So when people are getting vein care, they’re going to want to make sure they’re going to a place that offers all of that, because they need a lot of different tools to properly treat varicose veins.”
I feel better
For Braaten, the relief was almost immediate.
“I was back to regular activity probably within a week,” he said. “And that week it wasn’t because my foot was uncomfortable or anything, it was just to follow the care instructions.”
She also says that her discomfort while active is gone.
“That throbbing pulse that was running there all the time, I don’t have it at all anymore. My other patch didn’t have swelling or anything like that,” Braaten said. “And they look so much better.”
Now Abby Braaten has become an advocate for these procedures. Varicose veins run in her family. Because of her experience, Braaten said one of her sisters has already had varicose veins treated. And another sister plans to do so as well.
learn more
…
Posted in Bismarck, Rural Health, Vascular
