Find the solution to your vein queries

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Do varicose veins always develop again and again?
Tissues become older and the venous valves gradually disappear with increasing age and lose their function. Thus, of course, the renewed appearance of varicose veins cannot be fully excluded.

Does the development of varicose veins become more intensive following vein surgery?
After a conscientiously performed operation on the affected veins and a most thorough elimination of all causes, there is no reason for this to occur.

Why don\'t more doctors perform radiofrequency catheter treatment or endoscopic vein surgery?
Both methods require special knowledge and the acquisition of certain abilities. Furthermore, in spite of being gentle procedures, they are associated with a great degree of technical experience (as well as the corresponding financial costs). The radiofrequency catheter treatment in particular should only be executed by vascular surgeons who have had a great deal of experience in this area: only these individuals can reliably guarantee that the tip of the catheter comes to lie precisely in the juncture of the deep venous system (that is to say, neither too deep, nor too far away from it) and to consequently achieve an optimal result.

With this method alone, only very experienced surgeons can treat veins other than the truncal veins using these catheters and thereby truly dispense with the need for incisions.
However, this requires a long-term training process.

Is the foam sclerotherapy just as effective as a radiofrequency catheter treatment?
For the treatment of the truncal veins and the intercommunicating veins by means of foam, the therapists face unavoidable constraints. Consequently, the possibilities of foam sclerotherapy are limited. However, it proves to be very well suited for follow-up treatment after a successful operation on the truncal veins, in order to eliminate disturbing side branches.

The conventional surgery uncompromisingly involves "crossectomy", a procedure intended to obliterate all side branches in the inguinal region. In the radiofrequency therapy, this does not occur. Is that a disadvantage?
According to the present state of scientific knowledge, it is not a disadvantage. The radiofrequency catheter method, because it is quite new, is substantially better documented scientifically than the time-honoured stripping method. The results of a long-term follow-up investigation on patients treated with radiofrequency therapy (and not "crossectomy") revealed no advantage to the stripping method with an inguinal incision and ligations.

How long does one have to wear the troublesome compression stockings after vein surgery?
That depends entirely on the surgical procedure selected: Whereas patients must generally wear compression stockings day and night for 6 - 12 weeks after a conventional stripping, our patients, as a rule, have to wear compression stockings for only three days after a radiofrequency therapy or endoscopic vein surgery.

How long must one refrain from working after vein surgery?
That depends entirely on the vein surgery method used. While many patients cannot work for 2 – 3 weeks after a conventional stripping, very many of our patients are already able to return to work the day after a radiofrequency catheter treatment or the endoscopic removal of the truncal vein.

How long after vein surgery must one refrain from participating in sports?
That depends entirely on the specific surgical procedure: Whereas the stripping patients can, as a rule, only participate in sports once again after 4 - 6 weeks, our patients treated with radiofrequency catheter therapy can already take part in sporting activities after 48 hours, and those of our patients who have undergone an endoscopic truncal vein removal can generally become active in sports after 72 hours.

Can brown or white spots appear after laser spider vein removal?
That cannot be avoided entirely. The system used by us, in spite of it being very gentle and presently being the most modern of laser systems, produces the fewest brown, to say nothing of white, spots; nevertheless, this is still possible in individual cases.

Will my insurance coverage pay for the vein surgery?
Please take a look at the navigation site "Costs of treatment", where this is explained in detail.

Doesn\'t one need the eliminated veins, to say nothing of the truncal veins? Where does the blood flow after their elimination or removal?
The veins eliminated or removed during surgery are unfortunately defective and therefore already prior to the treatment contribute nothing with regard to the venous return as soon as the patient is standing.
Consequently, their removal does not worsen the venous circulation: On the contrary, through their removal, the blood flow is instead re-directed to other, healthy (generally more deeply lying) vessels, which function normally. Thereby, the venous return is improved and the venostasis is decreased.

Aren\'t the veins which are removed or destroyed valuable spare parts for treatment if one should eventually require a bypass?
Only healthy truncal veins can be used in a bypass. A vein which has degenerated into a varicose vein can unfortunately no longer be used for this purpose and, therefore, the advantage of an improved venous circulation is clearly more significant than its questionable use as a bypass.
A healthy truncal vein, however, should - precisely for this reason - not be touched.

Can a varicose ulcer (leg ulcer or \'ulcus cruris\') be operated on?
In very, very many cases, one can treat patients with varicose ulcers quite well with a relatively simple surgical procedure. Even with cases in which the leg has already displayed a varicose ulcer for many years, these can be closed long-term in up to 80% of cases.