New procedure fixes varicose veins

BALTIMORE – Millions of Americans suffer from varicose veins, twisted or enlarged veins that you can see just under the surface of the skin.  

Childbirth and weight gain are just two of the causes of varicose veins, but doctors now have a new, minimally invasive treatment available that's bringing fast relief.

Dr. Alain Tanbe, a vascular surgeon at Mercy Hospital, treats the cause of varicose veins, venous reflux and leaky valves in leg veins.

"These valves, when they don't close as they are supposed to ... blood is flowing up and leaking back down," Tanbe said. 

Doctors have traditionally used lasers to close the area. 

Now they have a new option called VenaSeal, which is delivered by a tiny catheter to the veins next to the knee.

"It's a medical glue, so once we have the glue in and delivered, and this is done under ultrasound, we press down and the vein will shut down along the length of it. The blood will reroute into the main vein," Tanbe said.

When the blood is blocked from the leaky vein, it's forced through healthy veins, which improves blood flow. 

Lula Nolley, who underwent the procedure, felt the difference right away. 

"I'm good. I'm really good. I don't feel no pulling. You know how you used to get charley horses? I used to get them all the time. Now I don't," she said. 

The procedure takes about 30 minutes, and patients leave the office with just a band-aid covering the tiny pinhole in their knee. 

Tanbe said the varicose vein symptoms, such as burning and aching, start to ease within a day or two. 

VenaSeal is covered by Medicare, Medicaid and some private insurance companies.