About Venous Disease: Understanding Superficial Venous Reflux
Your legs are made up of a network of veins. Healthy leg veins contain valves that open and close to assist the return of blood back to the heart. Venous reflux disease develops when the valves that keep blood flowing out of the legs and back to the heart become damaged or diseased. This can cause blood to pool in your legs and lead to symptoms such as pain, swelling, swollen limbs, leg heaviness and fatigue, skin changes and skin ulcers, and varicose veins.
Spider Veins or Thread Veins
Some people have small blood vessels in their skin that enlarge. They can occur anywhere on the body but mainly affect the legs and face. They are ‘thread-like’ or have several branches hence the names given to them.
What causes spider veins?
We do not know exactly why some people get thread veins. They often occur in women so they may be related to the hormone estrogen. In some people they appear at the site of previous operations or insect bites.
What treatments have been used for spider veins?
Established treatments for spider veins involve injections or laser therapy. Injections (sclerotherapy) can be a very good way of removing large areas of spider veins. These tend to work on the large blue spider veins. Injections cannot be used on very small veins or those on the face. At the Mountcastle Vein Institute, we also offer Veinwave™ for the treatment of unsightly spider or thread veins.
Laser treatment is expensive and can cause burns. The skin can be permanently bleached and you shouldn’t have the therapy within a few weeks of a suntan as it increases skin damage.
Varicose Veins
Varicose veins are ropy appearing blue vessels under the skin, usually ¼ inch or larger in diameter. They are most often branches from the saphenous trunk veins, and have enlarged due to the excess pressure in the saphenous system. Varicose veins are unsightly and often painful. A clotted varicose vein causes the classic phlebitis, hot and red and painful skin at the site of the clot. Beside the visible symptoms, physical symptoms are tiredness, restless legs at night, heaviness in the leg, pain, aching, itching, throbbing and swelling, burning or a cramping sensation.
Venous Reflux Disease Symptoms
Click below to view a 30 second video-clip about venous reflux
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Vein Treatments:
After a comprehensive evaluation that includes an ultra-sound examination of the veins, our vein specialists will determine the optimal treatment for each patient's needs.
Our Services Include:
The Closure Procedure
The VNUS® Closure® Procedure, an alternative treatment option to traditional vein stripping surgery, brings state-of-the-art technology to an age-old disease.
The Closure procedure is performed on an outpatient basis. Using ultrasound, your physician will position the Closure catheter into the diseased vein, through a small opening in the skin. The tiny catheter delivers radiofrequency (RF) energy to the vein wall. As the RF energy is delivered and the catheter is withdrawn, the vein wall is heated, causing the collagen in the wall to shrink and the vein to close. Once the diseased vein is closed, blood is re-routed to other healthy veins.
Following the procedure, a simple bandage is placed over the insertion site, and additional compression may be provided to aid healing. Your doctor may encourage you to walk, and to refrain from extended standing and strenuous activities for a period of time.
Patients who undergo the Closure procedure typically resume normal activities within a day.
Highlights of the Closure procedure
Click below to view a short video about the
VNUS Closure procedure
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• Relief of symptoms
• Resume normal activity within a day
• Outpatient procedure
• Local or general anesthesia
• Good cosmetic outcome with minimal to no scarring, bruising or swelling
Veinwave™
What is Veinwave Treatment?
Veinwave uses a new method called thermo-coagulation. It can be used on any type of skin, without causing bruising and there is no need for bandages. One treatment session lasts about 15 minutes and can treat up to 30 cm of veins on any part of the body. There are no major side effects, no allergic reactions and no bruising. It can be used on sensitive areas of the body. Some trials have shown that 80% of patients prefer Veinwave to injections.
How many treatments will I need?
This depends on how many spider veins you have and how easy it is to treat your leg. Each session involves nearly 250 pulses so about 30-50cm of spider veins can be treated. Most people can be treated in 3 to 5 sessions.
Will the Veinwave treatment be permanent?
Spider veins can recur or new areas can be affected so it may be necessary to have several sessions over months or years.
Are there any problems with Veinwave?
In one study of over 800 treatment sessions there have been no reports of complications from Veinwave. If you are allergic to Nickel then please tell the person giving you the Veinwave treatment.
The main problem appears to be failure of the treatment to remove all spider veins. It is for this reason that repeat treatments may be necessary. The results are obvious in most patients after 6 weeks but for some people, it can take longer for the treatment to work.
Does Veinwave work for all spider veins?
Veinwave is effective on small blue veins on the legs and the fine red veins on the face. It does not always work on very fine red veins on the legs that are matted.
Can I see how it has worked for others?
Dr Mountcastle keeps a photographic record of Veinwave treatment and he would be happy to show you the results of treatment.
Sclerotherapy
Sclerotherapy is a cosmetic medical procedure used to treat varicose veins and spider veins. A tiny needle is used to inject a solution directly into the vein. The solution irritates the lining of the vessel, causing it to swell and stick together, and the blood to clot. Overtime, the body will absorb the treated vein. Mild discomfort may occur, and a cramping sensation may be felt for 1 to 2 minutes when larger veins are injected. The number of veins injected in one session is variable, depending on the size and location of the veins, and the patient's overall medical condition. Anywhere from one to several sclerotherapy sessions may be needed for any vein region. Medically prescribed support hose and/or bandages may need to be worn for several days to several weeks to assist in resolution of the veins. In general, spider veins respond to treatment in 3 to 6 weeks, and larger veins respond in 3 to 4 months.
Microphlebectomy
Microphlebectomy is a method of surgical removal of surface veins. This is usually completed in our office using local anesthesia. Incisions are tiny (stitches are generally not necessary) and typically leave imperceptible puncture mark scars. Post-operative discomfort is minimal. After the vein has been removed by phlebectomy, a bandage and/or compression stocking is worn for a short period.
