Chances are you or a family member have them? twisted, bulging and unsightly blue veins running down the leg. They ache and make you self-conscious so that you don't want to wear shorts, even at the gym. For the approximately twenty-four million Americans who live with varicose veins - a potentially dangerous condition caused when valves in the leg veins fail - a new, less invasive surgical procedure can offer relief from the pain and discomfort.

Compared with traditional varicose vein surgery, which had been called a "blind" procedure, meaning surgeons can't always see or confirm removal of the vein, the new technique using the TriVex System allows surgeons to see the veins during the procedure and visually confirm their removal.

"Traditional varicose vein surgery, which many times requires up to 20 to 30 incisions, causes a great deal of pain and requires a long recovery period," said Gregory Spitz, M.D., F.A.C.S., inventor of the technique used with the TriVex System. "In fact, many people avoided treatment because they felt the cure was not worth the pain."

The TriVex System, which requires as few as two to three small incisions, can significantly reduce postoperative pain and scarring allowing patients to return to normal activities within days.

For more information about the TriVex system, please call Heart & Vascular Care, a division of The Iowa Clinic, Vascular Surgery Department at (515) 241-5700.