25 million Americans -- or half of all men and women over age 50 -- have varicose veins -- veins that become damaged and fail to regulate blood flow from the legs to the heart. They're bulging and unsightly and can lead to fatigue and pain. Now, there's a quick new treatment for varicose veins that gets patients back to their routine faster than ever.

Lately it's been Amelia the dog doing all the dancing at Dave Schwartzman's house. He says his left leg often feels tired and heavy. The reason: varicose veins.

Schwartzman is undergoing a new procedure to treat the problem. It's all done under local anesthesia. Vascular surgeon Dr. Ken Adcock uses ultrasound to go inside the vein with a catheter, then a radio frequency probe.

Radio frequency energy is used to heat the vein from inside, causing the vein wall to contract and close. This redirects the blood to other healthy veins. The treatment takes just a few minutes and Dr. Adcock says it's also easier on the patient.

"It's a lot less traumatic to surrounding tissues a lot better as far as patient comfort," says G. Kendrix Adcock, M.D., a vascular surgeon at Florida Vascular Consultants in Orlando, Fla.

Other varicose vein treatments, like laser or vein stripping, can leave bruises that can last for days. But with this procedure, Dr. Adcock says there's virtually no bruising or pain, and patients can return to regular activities in just 48 hours.

"I've been performing vascular surgeries for almost 25 years now and this is a quantum leap forward," Dr. Adcock says.

"I was surprised at how quick it took, and really pain free and that's not an exaggeration it was pain free," Schwartzman says.

Doctors aren't sure what causes varicose veins. They do know the condition runs in families, and is more common in women and men. Also varicose veins seem to occur more often in people who spend many hours a day on their feet.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:

VNUS ClosureFAST
http://www.vnus.com

Florida Vascular Consultants
http://www.flvascular.com