Microphlebectomy

Occasionally, veins near the surface of the skin are too large to treat with sclerotherapy (which may cause brown pigment spots with larger veins close to the skin surface) and are too small to treat with laser ablation.

In these cases, microphlebectomy, also referred to as stab phlebectomy, is sometimes recommended to treat unsightly or painful leg veins close to the skin’s surface.

With stab phlebectomy, varicose veins are removed through small punctures, which leave virtually no scars. This technique differs significantly from vein stripping and should not be confused with that procedure.

Other aspects of microphlebectomy:

• Minimally invasive
• Usually only requires local anesthesia to numb the skin over the vein
• Performed through a series of small punctures
• It is frequently used in combination with sclerotherapy (if a portion of the vein’s course goes deeper under the skin’s surface)
• Little or no down time -- usual daily activities resumed immediately following the procedure
• Compression dressing usually worn for one week following the procedure
• Patients asked to avoid strenuous activities for one week

Risks to this procedure include mild discomfort and/or bruising for a few days at the removal site. Occasionally there may be slight injury to small skin nerves that lie close to the vein removed -- this is injury is rare and these nerves usually heal over time.

Physicians

Physicians offering this service include:

• Lawson, Jeffrey H.
• Mureebe, Leila
• Shortell, Cynthia E. K.

Locations

This service is available at:

• Duke Aesthetics Center
  3475 Erwin Road, Durham, NC 27705
• Duke Vein Clinic
  Duke Clinic 2B, 200 Trent Drive, Durham, NC 27710