Varicose veins

Varicose veins are telangiectasias in the legs. They are blood vessels or permanently dilated veins that can be seen through the skin. They are more or less deep and have a variable diameter that makes treatment often difficult. They may be blue when they are deep and around 1 to 2 millimeters in diameter or they may be smaller with a red color when they are very superficial.
They do not present medical severity but may reflect the beginning of bad circulation.

How to laser treat varicose veins of the lower limbs?

For optimal efficiency, the earlier the treatment, the better.
First, it is necessary to take a Doppler ultrasound to ensure the proper functioning of the venous system. If you do have venous insufficiency in the large vessels, the laser treatment will not be very effective and other therapeutic treatments will need to be sought out.
It is sometimes necessary to do a few hardening sessions with a phlebologist to remove larger veins that feed into the varicose veins.
Vascular laser treatment can eliminate the finest telangiectasias that are difficult to treat by hardening veins with a phlebologist.
Centre Laser Lyon has a long pulse Nd: YAG laser with a 3mm diameter which allows even the finest vessels to be treated. The light passes through the epidermis and is absorbed by hemoglobin in the blood. The walls of the blood vessels then collapse and are thus destroyed. This is called selective photocoagulation.

What happens during the session?

The sessions will last approximately twenty minutes. It takes one to three sessions depending on the extent of the lesions, spaced apart between 4 to 6 weeks.
During the session, your doctor will delineate the areas of skin to treat with a dermatological pencil. You will both wear special goggles to protect your eyes from the light rays during treatment. With the laser, he or she will follow the blood vessels to be treated.
You may feel a little tingling and heat while the light beam is working. There will be no downtime after treatment. You can resume your normal activities the same day.
Immediately following the meeting, you may see an erythema (redness) associated with edema following the treated vessels. Thin scabs or small hematomas can occur after a few days they will go away quickly.
You should avoid sun exposure during the month following your session.
It is important to revisit your laser physician for a check-up 4 to 6 weeks after the treatment session.

What are the contraindications for laser treatment of varicose veins?

They are rare but there are some cases where treatment must be modified :

• Venous insufficiency as shown by Doppler
• Any dermatological lesion still evolving at the treatment area
• If pregnant or breast feeding
• Very dark skin
• Recent sun exposure
• Under the effects of a photo-sensitizing medication

What is the cost of laser treatment for varicose veins?

The cost of the session will depend on the extent of the treatment area. You should plan on between 100 euros and 150 euros per session.
If you would like to schedule a medical diagnosis to establish a treatment plan, please make an appointment with our team.