How Your Varicose Vein Treatment Plan Is Built

Why does a varicose vein plan need to be individual?

No two legs leak in the same way. One person's varicose veins come from a single faulty valve at the groin. Another's are fed by two saphenous veins, a perforator in the calf and a cluster of hidden branches. If a plan treats only what is visible, or uses one method for everything, leaking veins are left behind.

Dr. Kim Byoung Joon names three main reasons varicose veins come back: incomplete diagnosis , a wrong treatment plan or method , and lack of preventive follow-up . The LEDAS planning process is designed to address each of these.

Step 1: How is the map made?

Everything starts with a standing duplex ultrasound . Dr. Kim checks the deep veins, the great and small saphenous veins, accessory veins, perforators and surface branches, testing each for reflux . The map records:

• Where each leak starts and how far down it runs
• Vein diameters and depth below the skin
• Twisted or hidden segments that a straight laser fiber cannot follow
• Perforator veins connecting the deep and surface systems
• The health of the deep veins, which must be able to carry blood once surface veins are closed

Step 2: How is each vein matched to a method?

LEDAS uses three complementary tools. Each vein on the map is assigned the one that suits it best.

EVLT: for main straight refluxing veins

Endovenous laser treatment uses a fiber about as thin as a hair, inserted into the vein under ultrasound. A 1940nm diode laser heats the inner wall and seals the vein shut; the body gradually absorbs it. Best for long, fairly straight segments such as the great or small saphenous vein.

DGS: for hidden, tortuous or perforator veins

Duplex-guided sclerotherapy injects a sclerosing agent, often as foam, into veins that cannot be seen from the surface, such as those between muscles, under ultrasound guidance. LEDAS calls this the key step in preventing recurrence.

SCT: for small visible veins

Sclerotherapy treats reticular and spider veins at the surface with fine injections.

Step 3: How is the treatment sequenced?

The LEDAS plan unfolds in three stages:

1. Initial treatment. The source veins that drive the varicose veins are closed first, usually with EVLT plus DGS on the same day.
2. Intensive treatment. Remaining small vessels are treated, with an ultrasound re-examination after each session to confirm closure and catch anything left.
3. Recurrence prevention. Long-term monitoring under the relapse prevention program , with follow-up ultrasound every one to two years, or each time an overseas patient visits Korea.

How many sessions you need depends on the extent of your disease. Many patients with both legs affected can have them planned together; see treating both legs .

What else shapes the plan?

• Your health: heart conditions, diabetes, past clots and medicines such as blood thinners
• Your skin: darkened or ulcerated skin often favors injection-based methods first
• Previous treatment: scarred areas after stripping usually suit foam injections
• Your travel time: international patients' schedules are considered when sequencing sessions
• Your goals: symptom relief, appearance, or both

What will I receive?

After the scan, Dr. Kim explains the plan on screen: which veins, which method, how many sessions, what recovery looks like, and the exact cost. The first visit, including consultation and ultrasound, costs 180,000 KRW; treatment averages about 5,500,000 KRW per leg depending on stage. You can take time to decide, ask questions, or seek a second opinion .

Matching each vein to a method

Varicose vein treatment planning – frequently asked questions