More than 80 million people in the United States have problems with their veins, the vessels that return blood to the heart once it has circulated through the body. Many people suffering from venous disorders come to vascular surgeons looking for treatment to either relieve pain or improve the visible appearance of diseased veins.

Veins have one-way valves that help keep blood flowing in the proper direction. If these valves stop functioning the way they are supposed to, blood can flow backwards and pool in the vein, causing it to stretch.

These enlarged blood vessels fall into two groups: spider veins and varicose veins. Spider veins are visible on the surface of the skin as red, blue or purple lines. Varicose veins are larger and deeper and often look like bluish bumps under the skin.

New technology allows us to treat spider veins without surgery or an extended hospital stay and long recovery. Laser ablation of varicose veins takes only 30-45 minutes. The procedure is painless and does not require anesthesia. The laser aims carefully controlled pulses of narrow-wavelength light at the damaged veins. The veins absorb the light and heat up, then collapse and close. They are then gradually re-absorbed by the body. Normal activities can be resumed immediately.

You can learn more about laser vein treatment at venacure.com.