Leg Vein Ligation
Leg vein ligation is the tying off of a vein. This procedure is for larger spider and varicose veins that pose a cosmetic problem or cause severe aching, infection or venous ulcers in the legs related to poor circulation.
At Skin Smart, leg vein ligation is done in the office without any side effects of general anasthesia.
Dr. Badawy begins by mapping out the veins in your leg to pinpoint the exact location of the problem veins. You wear shorts so he can see the veins, and you can expect this stage to take about 45 minutes.
Dr. Badawy will give you a local anasthetic, and makes a tiny incision over each problem vein. The vein then is tied off or ligated. It then dies and disappears from the surface view.
If the ligation isolates a faulty valve and the vein and valves below the faulty valve are healthy, the vein may be left in place to continue circulating blood through other veins that still have valves that work properly.
If several valves in the vein and the vein itself are heavily damaged, the vein (or the diseased part of the vein) is usually removed or stripped.
To remove the vein, an incision is made below it, a flexible instrument is threaded up the vein to the first incision, and the vein is grasped and removed.
After the procedure, you are able to go home. In most cases, you can return to work within a few days and resume normal activities after a few weeks.
