"Left untreated for several years the faulty vessels may allow fluid to collect in the ankles, making legs swell, burn, and itch. Rashes and sores may develop. About five percent of these unlucky people also develop small blood clots in the veins. Although the clots aren't dangerous, the vessels become inflamed and leave the nearby skin tender and red. In rare instances, painful swollen veins signal a much more serious problem, such as a tumor or a clot, in the large vessels deep in the leg. Such blockages force blood into the surface veins and overload them," according to Mary Hossfeld in Health magazine.

Enter Drs. Rolando T. Corpuz and Larry Roy C. Tojino. Both are phlebologists or vein specialists. Corpus resides in Canada while Tojino operates the Vein Care Clinic in Manila. Their weapons in battling bulging veins are sclerotherapy and radiosurgery or radio-wave venotherapy. The two are non-invasive ways of treating varicose veins.

Sclerotherapy was perfected by the French and relies on a series of injections to shrink swollen veins. This forces blood to look for other channels to the heart. Tojino learned the technique from his cousin Corpuz when he visited the latter in Canada. A few months later, the young doctor introduced this unique technique to his patients - many of whom were surprised at the results.

It's easy to understand their relief. The conven¬tional way of treating varicose veins is surgery or vein stripping, a costly and uncomfortable procedure. In this method, the diseased vein is pulled out with a wire that the physician runs through it. Although it is still the treatment of choice if the long saphenous vein is affected, there is no reason to perform vein stripping in those with superficial or spider veins considering the complications involved in the procedure.

This is where sclerotherapy comes in. In each session, the patient receives about 10 to 50 injections depending on the extent and severity of the problem. The results are quick and dramatic. In a matter of days or weeks, varicosities are gone while spider veins disappear right before your very eyes!

Radiosurgery, which originated in the United States, relies on electric current in the form of radio frequency waves to eliminate varicose veins. The waves emanate from a fine insulated wire or needle called a surgical electrode. It's cutting effect, known as electro section, results from heat generated by the resistance the tissues offer to the passage of the radiosurgery waves. This causes the tissues to split apart as though they were cut with a razor-sharp knife.

But unlike manual cutting and other conventional surgical methods, radiosurgery penetrates the skin with the least scarring and damage to other tissues. It also has a sterilizing effect and eliminates post-operative problems such as pain, swelling, infection, surgical shock and excessive blood loss.

What about side effects? Read about it in the third and last part of our series on varicose veins. Don't miss it!

If you're concerned about varicose veins, see a competent doctor for the right treatment. To prevent unsightly spider veins from getting worse, use Veinuderm, a natural remedy that helps reduce redness and swelling to give you great looking legs. For details, check out