Laser instead of scalpel: JUVENIS quietly says goodbye to varicose veins

Prof. Dr. Tamara Kopp

Ice water, eucalyptus creams, calf compresses. When nothing helps anymore and the legs are tired, swollen and heavy, this is usually a sign of venous insufficiency. The medical experts at JUVENIS get the blood flow moving again. "Treatments typically extend over several months," says Prof. Dr. Tamara Kopp, dermatologist, specialist in venereology and co-founder of JUVENIS. Even though bikini season is already over — autumn is the best time to start a treatment and then head into next summer with beautiful legs.

The JUVENIS team not only has the best doctors for all vein treatments but the center also has state-of-the-art medical equipment. The medical team's approach: rather than immediately reaching for the scalpel, there are excellent laser methods that gently deliver very attractive results.

Diagnosis: Venous Insufficiency

Gentle Vein Treatment with Laser

Varicose veins are not just a cosmetic problem. "Venous insufficiency can become a serious health risk," says Prof. Dr. Christoph Kopp, specialist in internal medicine, cardiology and angiology at JUVENIS. "Typical symptoms are feelings of tension in the legs, cramps, skin changes and inflammations that can even lead to the development of an ulcer."

The medical team at JUVENIS gets to the bottom of the complaints and helps to find the appropriate therapy. During the examination, the different types of varicose veins are identified and their extent and distribution patterns are assessed. "Palpable hardenings and pain can be an indication of a vein inflammation; an ultrasound brings clarity," says Prof. Dr. Christoph Kopp. "If thrombosis is suspected, a phlebography, which is an X-ray examination with contrast visualization of the veins, is performed in addition."

Gentle therapy methods instead of scalpel procedures

JUVENIS's credo: "We prefer gentle methods," says Prof. Dr. Tamara Kopp. "We only use the scalpel when there are no alternatives." Accordingly, the medical team also approaches the topic of varicose veins in a gentle way.

Top Results: Sclerotherapy with Laser & Co

Prof. Dr. Christoph Kopp

Most spider veins respond well to modern laser therapies. "The Nd:YAG laser, for example, emits infrared thermal energy into the vessel walls and the blood," says Ass. Prof. Priv. Doz. Dr. Markus Klinger, specialist in general surgery and vascular surgery. "This heats the vessel walls and causes them to contract." Result: the red lines lighten and continue to fade for weeks after the treatment — without the skin ever being touched by a scalpel. Sclerotherapy, or foam sclerotherapy, is the ideal treatment for slightly larger spider vein varicosities, reticular varicose veins and tributary varicosities.

An alcohol-like agent is injected into the veins to be treated, which triggers an inflammatory reaction in the vessel walls, causing them to adhere, dissolve over time, and become invisible. To be able to proceed with maximum precision, during the sclerotherapy the varicose veins are made visible using an innovative LED light source and the sclerosing agent is then introduced. In stubborn cases, a surgical procedure is advisable: miniphlebectomy and ligation of perforator veins are the methods that are effective for tributary varicosis and perforator insufficiency. "Through skin incisions shorter than 5 millimeters, the vein is removed with a hook," says Ass. Prof. Priv. Doz. Dr. Markus Klinger.

The small incisions are then sutured using plastic surgical techniques so that the scars are hardly visible after healing. For venous diseases of the major leg veins (saphenous varicosity of the great trunk veins), an endoluminal laser treatment is often effective: this is a procedure in which the affected vein is sclerosed or closed using a laser. The treated vein remains in the body and breaks down in the months following the treatment. The varicose vein disappears almost as if by magic," says Prof. Dr. Christoph Kopp.

In very advanced venous disease, surgical methods are best suited. In such cases one or both major leg veins must be surgically removed: "A so-called stripping and crossectomy we perform under general anesthesia in a cooperating private hospital," says Ass. Prof. Priv. Doz. Dr. Markus Klinger. The result is the same in all cases: relief from symptoms for the patients and the nice feeling of being able to wear all the colorful skirts and shorts next summer with pride and joy.

Further information on Vein treatment at JUVENIS.