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VenaSeal™ Vein Closure for Varicose Veins
VenaSeal closes a leaking leg vein with a tiny amount of medical adhesive instead of heat. Treatment needs just one small needle stick, takes place in the office and lets most people get back to their day soon after. Once the vein is sealed, blood flows through healthier veins, which can ease aching, heaviness and swelling. Our vein specialists check your veins with ultrasound first to see whether VenaSeal is right for you.
Book a visit with a vein specialist near you at one of our clinics in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Ohio and Arizona.
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Meet Our Expert Team
Board Certified Expert
At MVM Health — Movement. Vitality. Medicine. — we are committed to providing exceptional pain, vein, and wellness services that empower individuals to reclaim their health and well-being. With our team of Harvard-trained experts, we strive to deliver transformative outcomes that restore comfort, confidence, and quality of life. MVM Health’s mission is to help every patient relieve discomfort, restore motion, and renew life.
Vwaire Orhurhu, MD, MPH
Harvard Medical School
Mariam Salisu, MD, MPH
Harvard Medical School
Peter Isaac, DO
Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine
Ali Amin, MD
Baylor College of Medicine
THOMAS KHOURY, MD
Harvard Medical School
ANTHONY TURNER, MD
Yale School of Medicine
KIRAN C. TAMIRISA
Baylor College of Medicine
TARIQ ALFARRA, DO
JOHNS HOPKINS HOSPITAL
Rishi Sheth, MD
University of Miami School of Medicine
Henry Onyeaka, MD, MPH
Harvard Medical School
Felicia Todd, CNP
Moravian College
Carrie Ward, CNP
Franklin University
Kruti Solanki, CNP
Drexel University
Christy Daniels, CNP
Chamberlain University
Heerina Kittel, CNP
Maryville University
Vic Urbano, CNP
Walden University
Jameela Azeem, CNP
Hofstra University
Vwaire Orhurhu, MD, MPH
Harvard Medical School
Mariam Salisu, MD, MPH
Harvard Medical School
Peter Isaac, DO
Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine
Ali Amin, MD
Baylor College of Medicine
THOMAS KHOURY, MD
Harvard Medical School
ANTHONY TURNER, MD
Yale School of Medicine
KIRAN C. TAMIRISA
Baylor College of Medicine
Rishi Seth, MD
University of Miami School of Medicine
Henry Onyeaka, MD, MPH
Harvard Medical School
Felicia Todd, CNP
Moravian College
Vic Urbano, CNP
Walden University
Jameela Azeem, CNP
Hofstra University
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What Is VenaSeal?
VenaSeal is a minimally invasive treatment, made by Medtronic, that seals a diseased surface vein from the inside using a medical-grade adhesive. It was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2015 and was the first vein treatment of its kind.
It’s used for the main surface veins of the leg, such as the great saphenous vein. When the valves in these veins weaken, blood flows backward and pools, causing varicose veins and chronic venous insufficiency. Closing the leaking vein lets blood take a healthier path back to the heart.
How VenaSeal Works
The whole treatment is guided by ultrasound and usually takes under an hour.
One Small Entry Point
After a single numbing injection, your provider places a thin catheter into the leaking vein through a tiny opening.
Adhesive Drops
Small amounts of adhesive are released along the vein, one short section at a time.
Gentle Pressure
Your provider presses lightly on the skin so the vein walls stick together and stay closed.
Blood Reroutes
The catheter is removed, a small bandage goes on, and blood flows through nearby healthy veins.
Is VenaSeal®Right for You?
VenaSeal works well for many people with leaking main leg veins, especially those who want a heat-free option with fewer needle sticks. Whether it fits depends on the size and shape of your veins, your health history and any allergies, which your provider reviews with a quick ultrasound.
If your legs ache, swell or show bulging veins, a vein evaluation can tell you whether VenaSeal or another treatment fits you best.
VenaSeal may be a good fit if you have…
- Leaking great or small saphenous veins confirmed on ultrasound
- Fairly straight main leg veins feeding bulging varicose veins
- A preference for a heat-free option with one needle stick
- Aching, heaviness, swelling or itching from venous insufficiency
It may not be right if you…
- Are allergic to the VenaSeal adhesive
- Have an inflamed vein with an active clot
- Have a serious body-wide infection
Benefits of VenaSeal®
No Heat Inside the Vein
The adhesive seals the vein without heat, so nearby skin and nerves aren’t exposed to thermal energy.
One Needle Stick
A single numbing shot replaces the row of injections along the leg that heat-based treatments usually need.
Often No Compression Stockings
Many patients don’t need compression stockings afterward. Your provider will tell you what’s right for you.
Quick Return to Routine
Most people walk out of the office and return to normal daily activity the same day.
When Your Provider May Recommend VenaSeal®
VenaSeal® is designed to close the main leaking vein that feeds bulging varicose veins. Your provider may suggest it when ultrasound confirms reflux in a fairly straight surface vein, or when a non-heat option suits your veins or comfort better.
After the main vein is closed, any smaller surface veins that remain can be treated later with sclerotherapy, Varithena® or ambulatory phlebectomy.
Not sure which treatment fits your veins?
What to Expect
Here’s what usually happens before, during and after your VenaSeal treatment.
BEFORE TREATMENT
Your provider reviews your symptoms, medicines and allergies and maps your veins with duplex ultrasound. Tell your care team about blood thinners, any allergy to adhesives, past blood clots or pregnancy. Don’t stop any prescribed medicine unless your provider tells you to.
DURING TREATMENT
A small spot on your leg is numbed, and the catheter is guided into the vein with ultrasound. You stay awake and may feel light pressure or a pulling sensation. No sedation or general anesthesia is needed.
AFTER TREATMENT
You’ll walk out with a small bandage and can usually return to normal activity the same day. Your provider may ask you to avoid hard workouts for a short time and come back for a follow-up ultrasound.
VenaSeal Compared With Other Treatments
Every option closes or removes a leaking vein so blood can flow through healthier veins. Each one works a little differently and suits different veins.
VenaSeal
Medical adhesive seals the vein with no heat.
Best for: straight main surface veins.
Recovery: same-day return to most activity.
Heat through a catheter seals the vein.
Best for: long, straight main veins.
Recovery: walking the same day; compression afterward.
A laser fiber closes the vein with light energy.
Best for: larger, straight veins.
Recovery: walking the same day.
Prescription foam closes the vein with no heat.
Best for: twisted or lower-leg veins.
Recovery: walking the same day.
A rotating catheter tip and medicine close the vein without heat.
Best for: certain veins where heat isn’t ideal.
Recovery: walking the same day.
Small injections close smaller veins.
Best for: spider veins and small varicose veins.
Recovery: walking right away.
Compression note: Heat-based treatments usually need numbing fluid along the vein and compression stockings afterward. VenaSeal often needs neither, though your provider may still recommend stockings for comfort.
Recovery Timeline
Recovery from VenaSeal is usually quick and simple. With no heat and only one small entry point, most people feel only mild tenderness. A firm or pulling feeling along the treated vein is normal and fades over time. Here’s what the weeks after treatment usually look like.
1
Treatment day. Walk out of the office and return to light activity at home.
2
First few days. Keep walking daily and skip hard workouts or heavy lifting.
3
Weeks 1 to 4. Tenderness eases, and leg aching or heaviness often starts to improve.
4
Follow-up visit. An ultrasound confirms the vein has closed and your leg is healing well.
Aftercare Tips
A few simple habits help you heal comfortably after VenaSeal.
Tip 1: Walk every day to keep blood moving through healthy veins.
Tip 2: Keep the small bandage clean and dry as your provider directs.
Tip 3: Skip intense workouts and heavy lifting for a short time.
Tip 4: Watch for itching, redness or warmth along the vein and let your care team know if it appears.
Tip 5: Keep your follow-up ultrasound appointment.
Side Effects and Safety
VenaSeal is generally well tolerated, and most side effects are mild and short-lived. Knowing what’s normal helps you heal with confidence and know when to call your care team.
Common, Short-Term Effects
Tenderness, bruising or a pulling feeling along the treated vein is common and usually fades within a few weeks.
Inflammation Along the Vein
Some people notice redness, itching or warmth along the vein days or weeks later. This reaction is usually mild and often settles on its own or with medicine your provider recommends.
Rare Risks
Rarely, infection at the entry site, numbness, or a blood clot in a deep vein can occur. Ultrasound guidance and follow-up visits help lower these risks.
Who Should Not Have VenaSeal
VenaSeal isn’t used in people allergic to the adhesive, with an active inflamed vein clot, or with a serious body-wide infection. You can read more about varicose veins and their treatment from MedlinePlus.
Call 911 for chest pain, shortness of breath or coughing up blood. Contact your care team the same day for new calf swelling, spreading redness along the vein, fever or drainage at the entry site.
Find a VenaSeal vein specialist near you.
Book a visit with a vein specialist near you to see whether VenaSeal is right for your veins.
Frequently Asked Questions
“Vein glue” is the everyday name for adhesive vein closure, and VenaSeal is the best-known system. A tiny amount of medical adhesive seals the leaking vein that feeds varicose veins, so blood flows through healthier veins instead.
Most people feel only a brief pinch from the single numbing shot, then light pressure during treatment. Mild tenderness or a pulling feeling along the vein afterward is common and usually fades within a few weeks.
Often not. Many patients don’t need compression stockings after VenaSeal, unlike heat-based treatments. Your provider will tell you whether stockings would help in your case.
Radiofrequency ablation closes the vein with heat and needs several numbing injections along the leg, plus stockings afterward. VenaSeal uses adhesive instead of heat, usually needs just one needle stick and often no stockings.
Yes. A small amount stays inside the closed vein, and your body gradually surrounds it with scar tissue. It isn’t meant to be removed.
Coverage depends on your plan, your symptoms and ultrasound proof of reflux. Some plans require prior authorization or a trial of compression first. Our team checks your insurance benefits before treatment.
The main leaking vein closes, and bulging veins near the skin often shrink over the following weeks. Some smaller veins may still need sclerotherapy or phlebectomy for the best result.
Varithena is offered at select MVM Health clinics. Call (888) 628-4785 or find a clinic near you to check availability at your nearest location.
FAQS
What is VenaSeal, and how does it treat venous insufficiency?
VenaSeal is a non-thermal, non-tumescent vein closure treatment that uses a specially formulated medical adhesive to seal the diseased vein from the inside, without heat or large injections of anesthetic fluid. It targets the underlying venous insufficiency directly, stopping blood from pooling in faulty veins and relieving associated cramps, heaviness, and discomfort.
What conditions can VenaSeal help with?
VenaSeal is used to treat Venous Insufficiency and its related symptoms, including chronic leg cramps, swelling, skin changes, and varicose veins. At MVM Health, VenaSeal may be recommended as a standalone treatment or as part of a comprehensive plan that also includes Sclerotherapy, Radiofrequency Ablation, Laser Ablation, Compression Therapy, or Lifestyle Guidance.
How is VenaSeal diagnosed and planned at MVM Health?
The process begins with a detailed diagnostic workup using advanced imaging, such as ultrasound, CT scans, and venograms, to precisely identify the source of venous pain. This in-depth understanding allows MVM Health specialists to design a custom-built treatment plan with a dual focus on immediate comfort and long-term quality of life.
Is VenaSeal treatment painful, and what is recovery like?
VenaSeal is a minimally invasive procedure with very little associated downtime. Because it does not rely on heat or large volumes of anesthetic fluid, many patients find it more comfortable than thermal ablation methods. To promote continued healing following the procedure, MVM Health may combine VenaSeal with cutting-edge treatments like VNUS radiofrequency or Laser Ablation.
Can VenaSeal be combined with other vein treatments?
Yes. At MVM Health, VenaSeal is frequently integrated into a comprehensive vein management plan. It can work well with Sclerotherapy, Laser Ablation, Radiofrequency Ablation, Microphlebectomy, Compression Therapy, and regenerative treatments like PRP or stem cell therapy to improve results and support lasting vein health.
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