Laser Lipo, Varicose Vein Removal, Spider Vein Treatment, Vein Center St. Louis, MO

If you suffer from vein disease and think your only choices are enduring unsightly varicose or spider veins or undergoing painful surgery, you may be surprised that medical advances have opened the door to less invasive treatments. A decade ago, the only option to treat varicose veins was vein stripping surgery requiring general anesthesia and lengthy recovery. Today, many doctors offer less invasive procedures. Thomas Wright, MD, a board certified phlebolgist (a physician specializing in the treatment of varicose veins), credits laser and ultrasound technology with expanding available treatments.

“People need to understand that they are living in the midst of a major revolution in the treatment of vein disease,” he says.

“Ultrasound has changed vein disease more than anything in the past 20 years because we can actually see the disease without cutting people.”Dr Wright has been performing laser treatments for varicose veins since 2006 at Laser Lipo and Veins in St Louis He says laser treatments require only local anesthesia, leave fewer scars, and patients can return to work the same day. “Hospitalization and its cost have been eliminated because this procedure can easily be done in a physician’s office,” he says. Endovenous laser treatments are successful in 98 percent of patients with only a 7 percent recurrence rate after two years, according to VeinDirectory.org, a web site with an advisory board of notable vein treatment physicians. Barry Summers, MD, is chairman of the Department of Surgery at Chicago’s St. Mary of Nazareth Hospital and also practices at Northside Vein Care in Chicago. He performs laser procedures to treat the main vein that causes varicose veins. For smaller varicose vein clusters, Dr. Summers says one minimally-invasive option is microphlebectomy, in which a special hook is used to remove veins through multiple small incisions. The outpatient procedure requires only local anesthesia.

Unlike varicose veins, which can lead to ulcers and blood clots, spider veins don’t typically cause serious medical problems, although they contribute to symptoms. Dr. Wright says, there are non-invasive treatments available for people who want to eliminate spider veins. Foam sclerotherapy, in which physicians use tiny needles to inject a chemical into surface veins, is a common treatment for spider veins. Dr. Wright likens sclerotherapy to acupuncture, and says the procedure requires no anesthesia and patients can resume normal activity in two to three days. Topical lasers can also treat spider veins. Dr. Wright says he has observed high success rates among patients he’s treated for varicose and spider veins. Still, he says, it’s ideal to choose a doctor who is committed to a comprehensive, long-term treatment plan. “Even after a laser procedure, it’s prudent to have regular checkups, to make sure everything healed up as perfectly as possible,” he says.

Share This Article

According to the American College of Phlebology, more than 80 million Americans suffer from some form of venous disease. With over 60,000 miles of veins in an adult body, that number shouldn’t be too surprising. However, most venous disease occurs in the legs as they are not only the furthest from the heart, but have to fight gravity as well. There are four major common presentations of venous disease: chronic venous insufficiency, varicose vein disease, deep vein thrombosis, and pulmonary embolism. Each of these presentations have their own symptoms and degree of severity, but like any problem with the cardiovascular system, all should be taken seriously and be treated by a specialist.

Chronic venous insufficiency is a general term referring to an inability to return blood to the heart. It, like many venous diseases, can be aggravated by long periods of standing or sitting, which weaken the one-way valves within veins. As this process occurs, blood pools in the calf and ankle instead of flowing back toward the heart. Over time a person will notice the following symptoms: swelling, pain, fatigue, heaviness, or restlessness. In advanced cases bleeding or open sores may develop. Varicose veins are the most common manifestation of chronic venous insufficiency. It is commonly noted for large bulging veins but frequently visible large veins are not initially apparent on the surface.

Like chronic venous insufficiency, varicose veins are due to a weakening in a one-way valve. “This isn’t something that occurs over night, it takes years to develop”, says Dr Thomas Wright at Laser Lipo and Vein Center in St Peters. He also notes that new advances allow treatment on an outpatient basis. He also cautions that if left untreated complications can occur; darkening of the skin called hyperpigmentosis, a thickening of the skin around the veins known as lipodermatosclerosis, bleeding known as hemorrhaging, clotting called a thrombis, and open sores called leg ulcers.

A more serious condition occurs when a blood clot forms within the deep veins, this is known as a deep vein thrombosis (DVT). These clots can result from, among other factors, long periods of sitting, earning it the nickname “travelers thrombosis”. The symptoms include feelings of pain and warmth in the legs, accompanied by swelling and redness. This condition should be taken very seriously as there is the possibility of the clot coming loose and becoming lodged in the lungs, causing a pulmonary embolism, an extremely serious, life threatening condition requiring immediate medical attention. The most common symptoms of a pulmonary embolism are shortness of breath associated with chest pains and the coughing up of blood.

Share This Article

When we have any type of medical problem or concern, we all want the best care and this usually means looking for a medical specialist. However, this can be confusing if one doesn’t know the medical term for the type of specialist needed. When searching for the branch of medicine that deals with vein problems we need to know the word Phlebology.

A Phlebologist is a specialist who is dedicated to the diagnosis and treatment of patients with vein disorders or conditions. These can range in severity and complexity, but some of the more common vein conditions involve spider veins and varicose veins. Because these two conditions are so common, we see a lot of advertising for the treatment of these problems. Newly developed or expanded treatment options for many vein problems, including varicose veins, now exist.

How common is vein disease? Estimates are that over 80 million Americans suffer from some form of vein disorder and the spectrum of these disorders is extremely broad. Spider veins, which occur in more than 40 percent of all women, are a cosmetic nuisance, but infrequently cause symptoms while large leg varicosities can cause achiness, tired legs, swelling and even skin ulceration. When problems occur in the deep muscular veins, such as blood clots, the clinical symptoms can be far worse. In this situation, the leg swelling can be massive and if the blood clots travel to the lungs the consequences can be fatal. Even though vein disease is very prevalent and some of the clinical consequences are devastating, it is poorly understood by the public—it is most often thought of as a cosmetic Disease affecting pregnant women.
This, however, is far from true. Men are affected almost as often as women and frequently have more severe clinical presentations.

Recent advancements in technology have made it possible to treat all types of venous disease in A minimally-invasive fashion. These state-of-the-art image guided techniques, performed by vein specialists allow patients to return to their normal routine with minimal discomfort. If you are a patient seeking answers to questions about vein care, vein (venous) diseases, or vein treatment options and you need to locate a phlebologist, the best resource is the American College of Phlebology. The American College of Phlebology, or ACP, is a medical society of vein care professionals dedicated to advancing vein care. Many ACP members are medical practitioners who treat venous disease in patients including men, women, children and the elderly. Other ACP members are actively involved in new research, which has sparked the surge in a variety of new treatment methods available today.

Some new treatment methods are related to technology and others are related to medications. So many patients with vein problems can benefit from treatment or lifestyle changes but may not know such things exist. The ACP has recently launched an awareness campaign to inform the public about vein disease and what can be done to help the patient with vein disease. The core message is vein care made understandable. In this outreach program funded by a grant from the ACP Foundation, a variety of methods will be used to educate the public, including patient-focused websites, social media such as Twitter and LinkedIn, print material, videos, and other marketing channels.

The ACP will continue these educational efforts so patients suffering from venous disease will recognize the benefits of seeking care through a vein care specialist. The following overview of vein disease will undoubtedly enhance your understanding of venous disease, prevention and treatment options. For further information about your veins, ask a vein specialist—a Phlebologist.

Share This Article

How can I tell if I have spider or varicose veins?

Varicose veins are larger and bulge out. Most patients tend to have a lot more pain, swelling and other symptoms with varicose veins vs. spider veins. To answer your question with more precisely: essentially, as we currently understand, the same characteristics apply to both spider and varicose veins. Through tradition, they have been separated on the basis of size. Most classifications define spider telangiactasias as 1-2 millimeters, reticular varicose veins 3-4 mm, and all larger veins as varicose.

Share This Article

If the EVLT procedure doesn’t alleviate problems in the lower leg do /can you laser the lower leg?

Yes you can laser in the lower leg, you have to be much more careful. There is a nerve that supplies sensation to the skin, saphenous nerve, that runs along the vein in the lower leg. The heat can damage the nerve and you can get temporary numbness or permanent numbness from this. Sometimes this is avoidable if enough tumescent is used however sometimes regardless of how good your technique is the nerve can still be damaged.

Share This Article

Is a smaller ultrasound used to be able to see tiny spider veins? What if the veins are on my cheeks, can I still have them use an ultrasound?

Ultrasound guided sclerofoam is a procedure done to eliminate the so called tributary branches and peforators. Occasionally is used to eliminate some of the superficial “large” varicosities. The equipment used is an ultrasound machine. These veins are for the most part located at least 0.5-1 cm below the skin level. Spider veins are superficial and no ultrasound aid is needed. No ultrasound guided procedure is done for the facial spider veins.

Share This Article

The choice of anesthesia is a decision make between the patient and the surgeon. Depending on the procedure there may be a wide range of options while some types of surgery require a more specific choice.It depends on what procedure you have, if it is in a clinic or a hospital and other factors. Some are general anesthesia, some are local with sedation.

In general, medical care and surgery is designed to be minimally invasive, including reduction of risks and down time. This is very much the case in vein procedures which most often can be performed fully ambulatory under local anesthesia.

Share This Article

Varicose veins in the legs are best studied with a reflux ultrasound.  Varicose veins in the pelvis are studied either by MRI or a Pelvic venogram.  If varicose veins are discovered in the pelvis and they are causing symptoms, they can be treated with minimally invasive techniques including embolization.  These pelvic varicose veins, often referred to as “Pelvic Venous Congestion”, are hard to see during laproscopic hysterectomy.

Share This Article

Difficult to tell if related.  Nerve damage can develop after stripping or EVLT.  Usually this results in pain and numbness around ankle and inner forefoot.  It should improve with time, but can take up to a year to resolve.  I am unaware of this problem with sclerotherapy.  Unless a direct injuy to nerve with the needle occurred.

Share This Article