Practice Areas

Vascular Disorders & Treatments

Venous disease includes a spectrum of disorders, from leg swelling to varicose veins and spider veins. Generally hereditary, venous diseases can be triggered by such conditions as pregnancy, obesity, heart problems, and blood clots. The most common cause of vascular disorders is poor valve function of the veins in the legs.

The mainstay of treatment is external compression with prescription stockings, though ultrasound can also be useful to further diagnose the cause of the disorder in many cases. For varicose veins, ablation procedures, surgery, or injections can offer very positive results.

Microphlebectomy

Microphlebectomy is a procedure to remove larger superficial varicose veins of the legs that may or may not be associated with superficial venous valvular incompetence.Frequently done at the time of laser vein or radio frequency vein ablation, it is a simple procedure which involves removal of the vein through small puncture incisions. Usually no sutures are needed and cosmetically acceptable small puncture incisions are used.

How does Vein Ablation work?

The laser energy damages the vein walls, shrinking them and closing the faulty vein so that the blood cannot flow through it. This eliminates vein bulging at its source.

Is loss of this vein a problem?

No. After treatment, the blood in the faulty vein will be diverted to the many normal veins in the leg.

What are the complications of this procedure?

The only minimal complications experienced with Vein Ablation have been a small number of cases of numbness that passes quickly.

How successful is Vein Ablation?

97% of first-time Vein Ablation treatments are successful!

What can I do to stop my varicose veins from enlarging and spreading?

People who suffer with varicose veins often feel frustrated with this problem as the causes are often beyond personal control – heredity and hormone influences account for a large part of the development and progression of varicosities. However, there are measures that can be taken to help control the progression of the disease:

Avoid constricting clothing and shoes.
Maintain ideal body weight
Elevate the legs above the level of the heart for 10-15 minutes whenever possible – 2or 3 times per day is ideal.
Avoid prolonged standing or sitting; take breaks to walk every 2 hours if possible,
Walk as much as possible. When you are not able to walk, exercise the calf muscles with repetitive ankle flexion (tapping in time to music).
Wear graded compression support stockings during waking hours; remove for sleep.
Maintain proper skin hygiene and skin lubrication to prevent drying of skin.
Avoid excess salt in the diet to prevent retained body fluid.
Eat a high fiber diet to avoid/prevent constipation – straining puts added pressure on the veins.

Veinwave

Veinwave™ is an innovative technique currently used by doctors around the world to eliminate spider veins and fine thread veins on the legs. Veinwave uses a desktop electrical device which utilizes an insulated, electronic needle to apply thermocoagulation to the affected area. The procedure is minimally invasive as the needle only interacts with the top layers of the skin. The result is a relatively painless, walk-in and walk-out procedure with no risk of bruising, scarring or pigmentation. The effect of the treatment is instant. Patients will see unsightly veins disappear almost instantly.

Veinwave™ is the only treatment of its kind to receive 510K clearance from the FDA. It is safe, simple and effective. Immediately after the treatment, patients can resume normal activities. Veinwave™ is ideal for patients who have had unsuccessful results with laser or other light-based treatment procedures.

To find out more about Veinwave, view one of the informative videos at www.veinwave.com. It’s safe, it’s simple and it’s effective. So ask your doctor about Veinwave™ today.

Vein Ablation

Vein Ablation uses targeted energy to seal a vein shut, which helps you look and feel better fast.

Treatment in less than an hour
Can be performed in the doctor’s office
Immediate relief of symptoms
Return to normal activity immediately with little or no pain
No general or spinal anesthesia or hospitalization
No scars

Dos & Dont’s of Chronic Venous Insufficiency/Leg Swelling

Do:

Elevate your legs higher than your heart as often as possible
Wear your prescribed stockings, putting them on first thing in the morning and removing them at night, unless otherwise instructed by your doctor.
Avoid injury to your legs, especially near the ankles.
Always wear your stockings when flying.
Avoid high-salt foods.
Replace your stockings every 4-6 months (or sooner if the nylon has lost its elasticity.)

Dont:

Dry your stockings in the dryer. (They last longer if air-dried.)
Sit or stand for long periods without your stockings.
Overuse salt on foods.
Miss diuretics (water pills) prescribed by your doctor.

Venous Disease Overview

Venous disease includes a spectrum of disorders, from leg swelling to varicose veins and spider veins. Generally hereditary, venous diseases can be triggered by such conditions as pregnancy, obesity, heart problems, and blood clots. The most common cause of vascular disorders is poor valve function of the veins in the legs.

The mainstay of treatment is external compression with prescription stockings, though ultrasound can also be useful to further diagnose the cause of the disorder in many cases. For varicose veins, ablation procedures, surgery, or injections can offer very positive results.

Injection Sclerotherapy

Generally used for spider veins and smaller varicose veins, sclerotherapy involves using a tiny needle to inject a medication into a vein to cause closure of the surface vessels. It is easily performed in the office without anesthesia. It is well tolerated with minimal to no side effects. Some bruising may be noticeable for a few days to weeks after the procedure but generally the bruising (and veins) will clear in about 6-8 weeks.

Frequently your doctor will advise a follow-up visit in 2-3 weeks after the procedure to examine and possibly remove any trapped blood in the injected veins; this leads to faster resolution of the veins.

Occasional side effects are mild, transient itching, pigmentation, and bronzing of the skin over the injected veins, nonresolution of the veins. Repeat reinjection may be required for complete resolution.

Very rare side effects include allergic reactions and superficial burns, both of which generally resolve with time. Repeat injections may be necessary especially if multiple veins are present.

Sclerotherapy is frequently used after ablation procedures to “clean up” small residual, left over veins.

Vein Ablation Procedure

Vein Ablation is a quick, minimally invasive laser procedure. Here is what to expect:
Your doctor uses ultrasound to map out your vein.
Local anesthetic is applied.
A thin laser or radio frequency (RF) fiber is inserted through a tiny entry point, usually near the knee.
Energy is delivered to seal the faulty vein.
Walking immediately after the procedure is encouraged.
Normal daily activity can be resumed (just avoid rigorous activities,such as gym workouts).
There may be minor soreness and bruising. Any discomfort can be treated with over-the-counter pain relievers as needed

What are my options for treatment of varicose veins?

Phlebectomy, which is the removal of short segments of the varicosed vein through very small incisions that usually do not need stitches. Compression bandages are applied for a few days and the patient is back to usual activities very quickly.

Sclerotherapy is an office procedure useful for treatment of spider veins (telangiectasia). A small needle is inserted under the skin and a solution of a sclerosing agent or chemical is injected into the vein to permanently close it. Multiple injections are usually needed to completely close a cluster of these varicosities.

Newer techniques known as the Endoluminal ablation procedures have recently been developed to close varicose veins with the use of a either a radiofrequency catheter or Laser inserted into the vein. The heat produced by the radiofrequency energy causes the vein to collapse and seal shut. This is an office procedure, with expected return to normal activities in 1-4 days.