Endovenous laser treatment offers less invasive procedure for varicose veins

TARZANA, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Varicose veins can be more than just unsightly, they can be very painful. Health officials say varicose veins affect 50 percent of women and 40 percent of men.

Traditional treatment for varicose veins is invasive and recovery can take weeks. But endovenous laser treatment offers a less invasive procedure with less down time.

"The laser basically gets to the source of the problem and burns and destroys the vein from inside, so we're not cutting anything, we're not taking out anything," Dr. Hooman Shabatian explained.

He said the procedure takes about one hour to perform. Minor complications from the treatment include bruising and numbness, while serious risks include skin burns and nerve injury, which studies show occur in less than one percent of patients.

While some are bothered with how their varicose veins appear on the surface, health officials say if untreated, it can lead to serious health problems.

"Patients who have varicose veins are prone to getting blood clots, the blood clots could potentially travel up the leg and into the heart potentially," Shabatian stated.

Shabatian said the laser procedure is covered by Medicare and most PPO insurance companies.