What Causes Varicose Veins?

Varicose veins could occur in isolation or can result from associated venous reflux disease. Venous reflux disease occurs in 10% of patients with varicose veins. However, it is important when treating varicose veins to determine if the patient has venous reflux disease. If venous reflux disease is found, it is treated now with VNUS Closure or EVLT (endovenous laser therapy). Once VNUS Closure is performed, the varicose veins that are still there are treated with microphlebectomy, and rarely... more

Varicose veins are almost never formed in isolation; there is most often, a deeper, larger, vein that is "incompetent" that connects to the superficial, visible varicose vein. This is the "Venous Reflux" disease that you have heard of. This refluxing vein is usually the greater or lesser saphenous vein with valves that are not functioning normally. These root cause veins typically give rise to the varicose veins seen on the surface, and thus, to... more