Ambulatory Phlebectomy
Peninsula Vascular Center is a private practice center specializing exclusively in the diagnosis and treatment of patients with vascular disease. We serve the mid-Peninsula, including Menlo Park, Palo Alto, Atherton, Santa Clara and San Mateo County, California.
Ambulatory phlebectomy is a micro-surgical procedure to remove the most tortuous surface varicose veins. We recommend it when endovenous laser ablation or sclerotherapy is not technically feasible or appropriate. We generally perform this procedure either in conjunction with or after endovenous ablation therapy.
How It Works
We use local anesthesia before segmentally removing subsurface varicose veins through a linear series of one to two millimeter long "micro" incisions. Special surgical hooks are used to grasp and remove the vein segments through the small incisions.
What You Can Expect
We typically remove varicose veins in a single session. If both legs need to be treated, Dr. Lewis may schedule you for a separate session for each leg.
Patients resume normal activity immediately after their treatment and we encourage exercise to increase the rate of healing. Patients experience minimal or no scar formation at the incision sites and significantly faster recovery times than those associated with other surgical treatments.