WHAT PROBLEMS DO VARICOSE AND SPIDER VEINS CAUSE?

When you are affected by varicose veins, spider veins or both you can experience any of the following issues:

• Pain in your legs
• Fatigue, heaviness, aching, throbbing
• Burning, itching, cramping, restlessness
• Leg swelling
• Eczema and inflammation
• Severe varicose veins can lead to ulcers
• Skin discoloration
• Cosmetically unappealing

HOW ARE VARICOSE VEINS TREATED AND WHEN SHOULD IT START?

Two of the most commonly asked questions about varicose and spider veins are: "Do veins require treatment?" and "What is the best treatment for my veins?"

At CVGS, we offer solutions. Veins are treated for one of two reasons: for symptoms such as pain or for those that are cosmetically unappealing. There are generally two vein treatment options:

Conservative measures such as compression stockings, or corrective vein treatment can occur. Corrective vein care includes: Endovenous Ablation Treatment, Sclerotherapy, and Ambulatory Phlebectomy.

In most cases a combination of these treatments will be utilized:

ENDOVENOUS ABLATION TREATMENT

How is an endovenous ablation procedure different from surgery?

Traditional surgery involves general anesthesia, pain in the affected areas, and a lengthy recovery period. The medical ablation Laser technology eliminates all of that. Laser treatment or EVLT is:

1ST: it’s "minimally invasive." This means a small catheter or fiber is inserted through a needle stuck into the vein. The entry point is extremely small, and does not even requiring stitches.

2ND: there is little "recovery" to speak of. In fact, you’ll be up and walking as soon as it’s over, able to return to full normal activity by the next day.

3RD: the risk for infection and other complications is extremely low. And there is minimal discomfort.

HOW DO THESE VEIN TREATMENT PROCEDURES WORK?

(CENTRAL VENOUS ACCESS PLACEMENT FOR TEMPORARY USE)

There are time when your need for dialysis is time sensitive and that working on your fistula will be too time consuming. That’s why CVGS offers complete catheter services.

When your need for dialysis is priority, we offer a central venous access for temporary use. During this procedure we will place a catheter in your neck or groin using an Ultrasound machine.

This Ultrasound machine will show us the best place to put a catheter without having to try multiple times, so that we can facilitate a quick and easy method of temporary central venous access for your dialysis.

ENDOVENOUS LASER TREATMENT (EVLT)

The Endoveous laser delivers just the right wavelength of laser energy inside the vein to cause the incompetent vein to collapse and seal shut while your body automatically routes the blood to other healthy veins.

Endovenous laser procedures usually take less than an hour to complete in an office setting with local anesthetic. Following the procedure a bandage and compression hose is placed on the treated leg prior to going home. EVLT ablation procedures is FDA-approved.

SCLEROTHERAPY

Sclerotherapy can be used to treat varicose veins but is mainly used for treating spider veins. A needle is used to inject the veins with a medication that irritates the lining of the vein.

The veins then collapse and are reabsorbed by the body.

The surface ("spider") veins vanish and are no longer visible. You may need anywhere from one to several sclerotherapy sessions for any vein region. Depending on the type and number of veins being treated you may have one or several injections per session. Compression stockings are usually worn for several weeks after the procedure.

The Sclerotherapy procedure is done in an office with minimal discomfort. You may experience some bruising and pigmentation changes may occur after the treatment.

This typically disappears within several weeks. Although pigmentation almost always fades, it can last for three months.

(INDIVIDUAL RESULTS CAN VARY)

Deep Venous Therapy

If you have had treatment for venous insufficiency in the past and your symptoms have returned we may have a solution for you. At CVGS we are able to treat the deep veins of the body. There are times where this is necessary to get a full resolution of your symptoms. We have the ability to do an ultrasound of your deep venous system, diagnose and treat the underlying cause.

Using imaging for guidance, a catheter is thread through the femoral vein in the groin to the blocked veins. Once there, a balloon is inflated to open the blood vessel where it is narrowed or blocked. In some cases this is then held open with a stent, a tiny metal scaffolding. This is a minimally invasive treatment that does not require surgery, just a small nick in the skin.