Varicose Veins
Bulging, aching leg veins are a treatable medical condition — not something you simply have to live with.
What varicose veins are
Varicose veins are enlarged, twisted veins that bulge beneath the skin, most often in the legs. They develop when the tiny one-way valves inside a vein weaken and stop closing properly. Blood that should travel upward toward the heart instead falls backward and pools — a process called venous reflux. Over time, the pressure stretches the vein into the rope-like cords you can see and feel.
Varicose veins are one of the most visible signs of an underlying circulation problem called chronic venous insufficiency. That is why we treat the cause, not just the appearance.
Symptoms
- Bulging, blue or purple veins on the thighs, calves, or ankles
- Aching, heaviness, or fatigue in the legs, especially late in the day
- Swelling around the ankles
- Burning, throbbing, itching, or cramping over the veins
- Restless legs or night cramps
Symptoms often ease with leg elevation and worsen after long periods of standing or sitting — a pattern that points toward a vein cause rather than a muscle or joint problem.
Causes and risk factors
Heredity is the strongest factor: if a parent had varicose veins, your risk rises considerably. Other contributors include pregnancy, age, prolonged standing or sitting at work, excess weight, and prior leg injury or blood clot. Women are affected more often than men, though men frequently present with more advanced disease because they wait longer to be evaluated.
What happens if varicose veins go untreated
Venous reflux tends to progress rather than resolve. Ongoing pooling and pressure can lead to persistent ankle swelling, skin darkening and thickening around the lower leg, eczema-like irritation, superficial blood clots (phlebitis), bleeding from a vein near the skin, and eventually slow-healing venous ulcers. Earlier evaluation generally means simpler treatment — the early signs are worth taking seriously.
How we diagnose it
Diagnosis rests on a duplex ultrasound — a painless scan that maps your leg veins and measures the direction of blood flow, showing exactly which valves are failing. At Avancé Vein Care, Dr. Tadepalli performs every duplex ultrasound personally; he interprets the study himself rather than delegating it to a technician. The scan is done in our Sparta office at your consultation, and you leave with a clear picture of your veins and a plan.
“I scan every patient myself because the ultrasound is the diagnosis. When I see the reflux with my own eyes, I can plan a treatment that fits that patient’s anatomy — not a one-size-fits-all protocol.”— Dr. Satish Tadepalli, MD, MPH, DABVLM
How we treat it
Varicose vein treatment in Sparta, NJ no longer means hospital surgery or vein stripping. Every procedure we offer is performed in the office under local anesthesia, in a single visit. Walk in. Walk out.
- Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) — gentle heat seals the refluxing vein closed through a tiny access point; visits typically run 45–90 minutes.
- Endovenous laser ablation (EVLA) — a laser fiber closes the diseased vein with similar precision.
- VenaSeal™ — a medical adhesive closes the vein with no tumescent anesthesia required.
- Varithena® — a prescription microfoam that treats twisting veins ablation catheters cannot follow.
Closure rates for these ablation techniques are well above 90% in published studies, and healthy veins take over the workload naturally. When symptoms and ultrasound findings support it, treatment is covered by insurance as medically necessary — we verify your coverage before anything is scheduled.
Further reading from an independent source: Varicose veins and spider veins — MedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of Medicine. Link verified 18 August 2026.