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Varicose Vein Treatment

Lee Health: Personalized Care for Your Varicose Vein Treatment

Lee health is committed to providing the best vein and vascular care in Southwest Florida. Known for providing exceptional care, our trained experts are here for you every step of the way. That means extra support and guidance when patients are ready to make the transition to adult or specialty care.

What are Varicose Veins?

A common problem for people from ages 15 to 90, varicose veins are large dilated veins in the legs, part of a disease called venous insufficiency, in which veins have problems sending blood from the legs back to the heart.

In some cases, varicose veins — which some patients may notice on their legs or feet — have no symptoms and may merely be a cosmetic concern. Other times, varicose veins can be painful and even cause swelling in the ankles and feet after standing.

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Varicose Vein Symptoms Include:

Throbbing in the veins
Leg achiness
Leg heaviness
Leg and foot Itching

Patients may develop advanced venous insufficiency and notice color skin changes in the lower leg and even ulcers. Varicose veins are often genetic, but patients can develop them if they stand or sit for too long. If left untreated, varicose veins may lead to serious pain and skin changes.

Vein Treatment Centers Serving Fort Myers and Cape Coral

LPG Vascular Surgery - Cape Coral Hospital

708 Del Prado Blvd, Suite 3 Cape Coral, FL 33990

Fax: (239) 424-4006

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Phone number (239) 424-2221
LPG General Surgery - Cape Coral Hospital

708 Del Prado Blvd, Suite 6 Cape Coral, FL 33990

Fax: (239) 424-2756

Get Directions

Phone number (239) 424-2755
LPG General & Vascular Surgery - Coconut Point

23450 Via Coconut Pt Estero, FL 33928

Fax: (239) 343-2026

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Phone number (239) 343-9960
LPG General Surgery - Gulf Coast Medical Center

13685 Doctors Way, Suite 100 Fort Myers, FL 33912

Fax: (239) 343-4238

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Phone number (239) 343-1176
LPG Vascular Surgery – Creekside

12700 Creekside Lane, Suite 301 Fort Myers, FL 33919

Fax: (239) 343-3781

Get Directions

Phone number (239) 343-3780

Causes of Varicose Veins

Varicose veins, also known as varicoses, can occur when veins aren’t functioning properly. Veins have one-way valves to ensure blood only travels in only one direction. When these valves fail, blood begins to collect in the veins causing the veins to enlarge. Often varicose veins affect the legs. Since the veins in the legs are farthest from your heart, gravity makes it harder for the blood to flow upward.

Some potential causes for varicose veins include:

Obesity
Pregnancy
Menopause
Standing for long periods of time
Age over 50
Family history of varicose veins

Treatments for Varicose Veins

If you see it, don’t ignore it. “The most important thing is to be conscious that this is a common problem,” said Dr. Ronnie Word, a vascular surgeon with Lee Health.

It’s a common problem that can be painful. “A lot of people have varicose veins, and they have no symptoms whatsoever. Other people do complain of throbbing pain from varicose veins. They complain of itching. But more often than not the biggest complaint is they have achy heavy legs,” said Dr. Word.

Women are 20 to 25 percent more likely to develop varicose veins. “It usually happens at the end of the day after they’ve been standing for a while. Some people can have swelling of the ankle. Certainly, if you have more advanced forms of the disease, they can develop skin changes, like darkened skin in the lower legs, some can develop wounds like venous ulcers,” he said.

Varicose veins happen when the valves in your veins stop working properly. Patients typically develop varicose veins in their legs.

“If you only have the spider veins, the little veins, those are more cosmetic treatments so we can inject those,” Dr. Word said. But for patients with more advanced disease, doctors may recommend an ultrasound to determine how well the veins function. “Depends on what we see, we can remove those varicose veins, we can inject the varicose veins, many times we end up doing laser ablations,” said Dr. Word.

The in-office procedures are successful in eliminating the problem and pain. “Once we remove the veins and do the laser and fix the problem, I would say 89 percent of them feel better. Their legs feel better, they are walking better, they are doing better,” he said.

Making it important to talk to your doctor if you’re concerned about your varicose veins.