Leg Vein Treatment
Leg veins that bulge, ache, or spread across your skin in red and blue webs are more than a cosmetic concern for many people. They can be a sign that blood isn’t flowing efficiently back toward your heart, and without treatment, symptoms often worsen over time.
At NorCal Vein Specialists, Dr. M. Albert Malvehy focuses his practice exclusively on vein disease, offering minimally invasive leg vein treatment in our East Bay and Sacramento offices with no surgery and little to no downtime.
Leg Vein Problems We Treat
Healthy leg veins rely on tiny one-way valves to move blood upward against gravity. When those valves weaken, blood can pool in the lower legs and lead to a range of concerns, including:
Venous Insufficiency: This is the underlying condition behind many leg vein problems. Damaged valves allow blood to flow backward and collect in the legs, causing pressure that builds over time.
Varicose Veins: These enlarged, twisted veins often bulge above the skin’s surface. They can cause aching, heaviness, and swelling, especially after long periods of standing or sitting.
Spider Veins: These small red, blue, or purple veins appear in web-like clusters just beneath the skin. While usually cosmetic, they can sometimes signal larger vein problems underneath.
Leg Pain and Restless Legs: Cramping, throbbing, fatigue, and an urge to move your legs at night can all be linked to poor vein function. Many patients don’t realize their discomfort has a treatable cause.
Venous Ulcers: In advanced cases, pooled blood can damage the skin near the ankles and cause open wounds that are slow to heal. Treating the faulty veins is key to helping these wounds close.
Some leg vein concerns are mainly cosmetic, while others are medical. Many patients have both, and an effective treatment plan addresses each one.
Your Treatment Plan Starts With Ultrasound
Every person and case is different, which is why Dr. Malvehy personally performs a diagnostic ultrasound at your first visit. He maps the veins beneath the surface to find the source of the problem, including areas where previous treatment didn’t work. Treating the root cause, not just the veins you can see, is what helps results last.
Leg Vein Treatment Options
Depending on your ultrasound findings, your customized plan may include one or more of the following treatments.
Laser Vein Treatment
Laser vein treatment, also called EndoVenous Laser Ablation (EVLA), closes faulty veins from the inside. After numbing a small area of skin, Dr. Malvehy inserts a thin laser fiber into the problem vein and seals it shut. There are no incisions or stitches, and blood naturally reroutes through healthy veins.
Foam Ablation and Minimally Invasive Vein Removal
Ultrasound-guided foam chemical ablation and minimally invasive removal of bulging surface veins can be combined with laser treatment to fully address varicose veins, including twisted or rope-like veins.
Sclerotherapy
Sclerotherapy treats spider veins and small reticular veins with a series of tiny injections that cause the veins to close and fade. Dr. Malvehy uses Asclera, an FDA-approved medication that doesn’t sting or burn, and treats underlying feeder veins first for more durable results. Treated veins are gradually absorbed by the body over the following weeks.
What to Expect During Leg Vein Treatment
All leg vein treatments are performed in our comfortable, modern offices. Laser and varicose vein procedures use only local anesthesia, with no surgery, no operating rooms, no vein stripping, and no stitches. Most visits take 30 to 60 minutes, and you can drive yourself home afterward. Many patients return to normal activity the next day, and when compression stockings are needed, they’re typically worn for just a few days rather than weeks.
Dr. Malvehy also specializes in revision treatment for patients whose veins returned after surgery, ablation, or injections elsewhere.
Does Insurance Cover Leg Vein Treatment?
Leg vein treatment for symptoms like pain, swelling, cramping, or wounds is covered by most major commercial insurance plans and Medicare. Cosmetic spider vein treatment is not covered by insurance, but our team will walk you through your options and costs upfront.
Schedule a Leg Vein Consultation
You don’t have to keep living with heavy, aching, or unsightly legs. Dr. Malvehy has performed more than 10,000 vein treatments and personally handles every consultation, ultrasound, and procedure.
Contact NorCal Vein Specialists in the East Bay or Sacramento to schedule your leg vein consultation today.