Are you troubled by unsightly or aching
legs?
Do you avoid wearing shorts or playing your favorite sports
because of spider veins or varicose veins? It’s
a common problem, especially as we get older.
Fortunately, a variety of effective treatments can be
done right in the doctor’s office, with little or
no pain, and with shorter recovery times and better results
than
with older methods.
How can The Vein Clinic
help me?
The Vein Clinic at Vascular Associates, P.S. specializes
in diagnosing and treating patients with vein problems.
Dr. Brian
Lange and Dr. Roman Wong are certified by the American
Board of Surgery and have advanced education and training
in disorders
affecting the blood vessels. They are committed to educating
patients about vascular conditions and the options available,
so you can make an informed choice about your health and
well-being.
Their expertise in the latest treatments, combined with
deep knowledge of underlying problems, allows them to
tailor a treatment
plan to your specific needs and offer you the best care
possible.
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What are spider veins and varicose veins? Small veins in the skin that appear web-like and red, blue
or purple in color, are called spider veins or telangiectasia.
Varicose veins are enlarged, bulging, twisted, and often
darker in color than spider veins.
Spider veins and varicose veins occur in the legs when
the one-way valves in the blood vessels no longer work
right, which
lets blood collect in the veins instead of flowing back
to the heart. This makes the veins widen, often becoming unsightly
and uncomfortable. Most commonly, varicose veins near the
skin surface are caused by leaky valves in veins deeper
in the leg.
Untreated, varicose veins typically worsen over time.
Spider veins and varicose veins can affect women and men
of any age, but they are most common in women of childbearing
age or older.
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How can they be treated? Self-care includes elevating your legs, wearing support compression
stockings and exercising to keep blood flowing through the
veins and to control body weight.
Medical treatment aims to correct the condition causing varicose
veins, rather than simply relieve symptoms or smooth over
a cosmetic problem. To fix the underlying cause, doctors close
down or remove veins with faulty valves that are preventing
efficient circulation of the blood. Newer medical treatments
to eliminate spider and varicose veins provide good results
with faster recovery, minimal discomfort and little disruption
of your normal daily activities.
The Vein Clinic offers several treatments for veins that
are causing pain, fatigue or other symptoms: Endovenous
Laser Therapy uses a small laser fiber inserted
into the faulty vein and positioned with ultrasound guidance.
The laser energy heats the vein wall, causing it to shrink
and close off. The procedure is performed in the doctor’s
office using local anesthesia to numb the area. It requires
just a puncture or tiny incision so there’s minimal
risk of scarring. Typically, only one treatment is needed,
and patients
report very mild discomfort from the procedure. With few
exceptions, you can resume normal daily activities immediately.
Your skin
may be discolored during the healing process, which lasts
three to six weeks.
Sclerotherapy, or injection therapy, is
a common treatment
for spider veins and smaller varicose veins that remain after
any larger problem veins have been eliminated with laser therapy
or surgery. A tiny needle is used to inject a foam that irritates
the varicose vein, causing scar tissue to form and close off
the vein. As a result, the surface veins are no longer visible,
and symptoms subside. Generally, two or three sessions are
required to treat an affected area.
In light-assisted sclerotherapy, a special light is placed
over the skin to illuminate veins near the surface. Echosclerotherapy
uses ultrasound to accurately locate and
treat varicose veins deeper in the leg. Following the procedure,
you can go about your normal daily activities with few restrictions.
The skin will appear discolored as your leg heals, which
may take as long as six weeks.
Because of the good results available with modern techniques
performed in the doctor’s office, surgery is rarely
needed to treat varicose veins today. In some cases, however,
surgery
is the only treatment for varicose veins covered by patients'
medical insurance. If so, The Vein Clinic may
perform
day surgery
in
an Operating
Room.
Ligation and stripping are performed
as outpatient procedures under spinal or general anesthesia.
Ligation involves tying
off a diseased vein and its branches. In stripping, a surgeon
removes a long segment of the diseased vein. Any remaining
varicose veins are then eliminated using hook-like
instruments or a small electrically powered surgical device.
The latter procedure, called transilluminated powered
phlebectomy, allows the surgeon to view the vein with a
light passed under the skin. Typically the veins can be
removed
with fewer incisions than in traditional stripping surgery,
allowing
a faster recovery and better cosmetic results.
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How do I know which treatment is right for me? During your first visit we’ll take a brief medical
history, ask questions and listen to your concerns, and examine
your
veins. The Vein Clinic at Vascular Associates, P.S., uses
state-of-the-art ultrasound equipment to thoroughly evaluate
your condition.
Our board-certified surgeons are trained to diagnose underlying
causes of the problem and provide the best medical care,
not just cosmetic treatment for the surface condition.
Your treatment plan will depend on the size and number of
veins to be treated, your medical history, and a careful
diagnosis
of your condition. Because The Vein Clinic has experience
with a range of treatments for vascular problems, we will
advise
the approach that offers the best possible results for
you.
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What results can I expect?
After the faulty veins are eliminated, the remaining healthy
veins take over, which relieves symptoms such as pain,
fatigue and itching. The appearance of your legs improves
because
the swollen, twisted veins are eliminated. The number
of treatments
and rate of skin clearing varies with each patient
and depending on the particular procedure. Treatment results
in noticeably
clearer skin, enabling patients to once again enjoy
wearing
shorts, swimsuits, skirts and dresses.
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