Varithena

What is Varithena™?

Varithena is a patented, injectable microfoam used in some ultrasound-guided sclerotherapy treatments. It’s effective for both varicose veins and spider veins.

This incision-free treatment usually takes less than 10 minutes!

And most patients find the Varithena procedure to be nearly painless. Boston Scientific data shows that during clinical trials, patients who reported pain at the injection or application site was 4.0%.

How Varithena Works

• The doctor injects the microfoam directly into the vein.
• The foam causes the vein to collapse and close.
• Blood is displaced from inside the vein.
• The body reroutes the blood into another healthy vein.
• The body reabsorbs the collapsed vein since it’s no longer needed.

After a few weeks, the vein fades and you feel and look better.

Before you know it, it’s time to plan that walking-tour of your favorite city, or simply make it through your workday without leg discomfort.

Varithena is Approved by the Food and Drug
Administration (FDA)

The FDA approved Varithena in November 2013. Its proprietary formula remains a treatment of choice for doctors and patients alike.

Before approval, Varithena was safety-tested on thousands of patients. Since that time, doctors successfully performed over 100,000 Varithena procedures.

Isn’t it time you got rid of the pain, achiness, throbbing and itchiness from your varicose veins?

Will Insurance Cover Varithena Treatment?

Private insurance and Medicare usually cover this treatment. But they must find it to be a medical necessity. Medicare Advantage (Part C) plans may also cover varicose vein treatment.

What To Expect at Your First Appointment

When you initially meet with Dr. Miller, he will check your vein health. He will visually examine your veins and perform an ultrasound on the veins.

If treatment is necessary, you may be a great candidate for Varithena. It’s effective on both spider veins and varicose veins that are less than one-eight of an inch in diameter.

How To Prepare for Varithena Treatment

One-week before treatment:

• Do not stop taking any medication without specific instructions from our doctor. Discuss with the doctor all medications you are currently taking prior to all treatment procedures.
• Generally speaking, you should avoid taking aspirin 7 days prior to treatment.
• Generally speaking, you should avoid taking other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as Motrin or Advil, or other ibuprofens such as Celebrex.
• Make sure you told the doctor about any allergies you have.

The morning of the procedure:

• Don’t shave your legs.
• Dress in comfortable loose clothing—or wear shorts to expose your legs. (We offer disposable shorts.)
• Wear comfortable shoes.
• Stay well hydrated.
• Pack compression stockings to wear after the procedure. Beforehand, our doctor will tell you the size and strength of socks to purchase, and how long you will need to wear them.
• Prepare to arrive at our office 15 minutes before your scheduled treatment time for check-in.

When you get to our office:

• Tell our staff about any new medications you are taking.
• Change to disposable shorts, if necessary.

The Varithena treatment—what to expect

Most often, the entire treatment will only take about 5 – 10 minutes.

• You will be positioned on the examination table by our staff.
• After prepping the area for injection, a local anesthetic is applied, and the selected vein is accessed under ultrasound guidance.
• The doctor injects Varithena into the vein.
• Varithena fills the vein, displaces the blood, and causes the vein to collapse and close.

What to expect immediately after treatment

• Your compression stocking will be placed with an ace bandage overlying the compression stocking.
• You can almost immediately return home and resume many normal activities.
• It’s important to walk and move your legs. After the procedure it is important to walk 60 minutes per day throughout the treatment period.

While most patients have no problems after the procedure, it is not entirely uncommon to experience itching or mild soreness in the treated areas.

Continuing to wear your compression stocking, ambulating as directed, placing moist heat in the affected area, and taking your over-the-counter analgesic as needed, will provide sufficient relief in most cases.

In the days and weeks following Varithena treatment

• It is important to walk 60 minutes per day throughout the treatment period.
• It is not uncommon to feel some tenderness in the treated leg for days to several weeks. You can relieve this by elevating your legs, using warm compresses, or taking a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medication.
• If you are concerned about other additional symptoms, please don’t hesitate to discuss with the physician or contact our office.

Most patients begin to experience symptomatic relief after several sessions. Many factors contribute to your body’s healing process.

Both before and during your treatment sessions, Dr. Miller will discuss your treatment progress, and will make every effort to achieve the best results possible with the fewest potential complications.

If you ever have questions about the treatment or your recovery, call our office at 862-251-7111.

Will I need follow-up treatments?

Sometimes specific veins and areas may need re-treatment. Proper injection technique and the patient’s compliance with instructions, are the best predictors of success.

Afterwards, new varicose or spider veins may form. They will need subsequent treatment. It’s rare that there is a recurrence of the same vein.

You will want to have your veins reevaluated, as the doctor recommends. This will ensure that we can treat new veins early—before they become too large or too numerous.

Additional treatments usually take place every 2-3 weeks.

The simple pleasures of life aren’t fun when your legs feel heavy and achy. But now you can take your dog for long walks or meet your grandkids at the park—without leg pain or discomfort.

With Varithena, a safe and nearly pain-free varicose vein treatment, there’s no need to live with unsightly and annoying veins any longer. Take the first step toward eliminating your varicose veins by contacting us at The New Jersey Vein and Vascular Center.