There is an increasing number of varicose vein cases being reported every year. Although varicose veins have become relatively common in India, people are still unaware of the condition and its treatment process.
Most people also confuse spider veins with varicose veins but these two medical conditions are fairly different. In this internet era, patients often rely on Google and try to self-diagnose their diseases which is the leading cause of misconceptions.
Today, we are about to burst some of the most popular varicose vein myths in this informative post. Read till the very end to improve your varicose vein knowledge.
Myth #1 – Varicose vein treatment is a painful surgery
In ancient times, vein stripping was the only available treatment for varicose veins. In this process, the patient is sedated and the damaged veins are removed by a surgical process.
This process is highly invasive, truly painful, and leaves a huge cut on the patient’s body. It also has an extended recovery time and the patient generally continues to be in pain even after the surgery has been successfully completed.
With medical advancements, surgical procedures are now rarely recommended for only the critical cases where varicose veins lead to severe issues of venous disorders. There are new and minimally invasive procedures where laser fibre is used to cure the pain point.
The highly suggested cure of medical treatment, endovenous laser ablation is absolutely painless, performed with local anaesthesia, and the patients do not get any cuts or stitches on their body.
Myth #2 – Varicose veins come back after the treatment
The vein stripping procedure is not as effective and patients often complain of re-appearance of varicose veins after treatment. However, for the laser process, the affected vein is accurately identified with the Duplex Ultrasound Scan before being cured.
This special ultrasound helps the doctors to treat the problematic vein and close it permanently. This allows the body to re-route the blood from the damaged vein to other neighbouring healthy veins.
There are extremely low chances of the varicose veins coming back after the endovenous laser treatment. It surely has a quick recovery process and the patient in most cases can resume work and other daily activities almost immediately.
Myth #3 – Varicose veins need to be treated only for cosmetic reasons
Varicose veins are not only an unpleasant sight but also a painful condition that is accompanied by itching, insomnia, skin damage, blood clots and even bleeding ulcers. Thus, getting treated for varicose veins is not merely for a cosmetic purpose, it is most definitely to improve the patient’s overall health and quality of life.
Varicose veins, when left untreated for a longer duration can lead to serious health issues due to the blood that continues to remain pooled in the damaged veins. This can even lead to clots in the veins. It may further cause Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) that is the medical condition where a clot develops in the deep veins and may require immediate medical care.
In some severe cases, the patient may suffer from a more serious disease called the chronic venous insufficiency where the patient’s skin turns brown around the calf and ankle due to leakage of the pooled blood into the tissues of the lower legs. This further leads to ulcers which are even more harder to cure and difficult to heal.
Myth #4 – Varicose veins are not covered under insurance
In the few not-so-critical cases of spider veins, most insurance companies do not offer a Mediclaim cover. But for varicose vein patients who are suffering from swelling, itching, pain, and the condition is negatively affecting their lifestyle, they must not shy away from contacting their insurance agency to know more about the insurance coverage.
As varicose vein treatment is not merely a cosmetic correction treatment, insurance agencies generally have this covered in their policies. Today, laser vein ablation and radiofrequency ablation treatment are offered with a cashless plan by almost all leading insurance agencies of India.
If you have any signs of varicose veins or have been already been diagnosed with them, schedule an appointment with the renowned and trusted vascular surgeon Dr. Rajah V Koppala to get an estimate of the treatment required and its expenses. After this, you can consult your insurance agencies to cross-check about the offered insurance cover.
Avis Hospitals has the latest equipment and a professional team of doctors who offer the most reliable medical advice under the guidance of Dr. Rajah V Koppala. Schedule a consultation today!