VenaSeal Ablation Q & A

What is VenaSeal ablation?

VenaSeal ablation is a treatment for varicose veins that works by closing them off. During the procedure, your provider at Advanced Heart Care Associates injects a medical-grade adhesive directly into a particular vein.

Before the procedure begins, your provider injects minimal local anesthesia into the tissues around the targeted vein. After the VenaSeal injection, they clean the injection site and place a bandage over it to stop any bleeding. 

After your VenaSeal ablation procedure, connective tissue grows around the newly closed-off vein. That causes the vein to harden, and your body eventually reabsorbs it. Blood flows through other veins in the region instead.

What does VenaSeal ablation treat?

Varicose veins, the condition that VenaSeal ablation treats, are twisted or engorged veins. More often than not, they appear on the legs. That is because the veins in your legs work against gravity to carry blood all the way back up to your heart. 

Each vein contains a series of valves, which open and close to push blood upward. When one or more of these valves is faulty, the blood falls back down and tends to pool in a specific part of the vein. The pooling causes the vein’s walls to expand, and, as a result, the vein bulges outward. 

Varicose veins vary in color, and while they’re not a danger to your health on their own, you may be interested in treating them for cosmetic reasons. They can also cause leg pain or discomfort, which treatment can alleviate.

What is the aftercare for VenaSeal ablation?

After VenaSeal ablation, you need to take some steps to promote the vein’s closure and avoid complications. Your provider at Advanced Heart Care Associates goes over instructions with you ahead of time so you know what to expect and how to prepare for the short recovery period.

Following your procedure, your provider might recommend:

  • Wearing compression stockings
  • Avoiding heavy lifting for around a week
  • Getting aerobic exercise
  • Keeping the injection site clean
  • Coming back in for a follow-up visit

Your provider lets you know how long you must adhere to any aftercare instructions and when it’s safe to ease back into more rigorous activities. If your varicose veins are indicative of an underlying condition like chronic venous insufficiency, your provider can discuss treatment for it with you to avoid future varicose veins. 

Schedule your appointment over the phone or online at Advanced Heart Care Associates to learn more about VenaSeal ablation today.