Cosmetic Sclerotherapy for Spider Veins Don’t let unsightly spider veins force you to wear uncomfortable long pants in the heat or prevent you from enjoying the beach. While not dangerous to your health, spider veins can make you uncomfortable and self-conscious. Spider veins are small purple or red veins that develop close to the surface of the skin, typically on the legs, and look like a spider’s web. They can be caused by pregnancy, birth control, occupations that involve a lot of standing, or even just genetics. Cosmetic sclerotherapy is a specialty at Fitzgibbons Vein Center. At FVC the doctor—not a nurse or physician’s assistant—performs all sclerotherapy procedures. Sclerotherapy is…
Healthy Living Before and After Vein Treatment
Staying mobile after vein treatment is essential for preventing complications like deep vein thrombosis. Obesity also exacerbates symptoms. For some patients, it may be necessary to lose weight before undergoing vein treatment. Starting a diet and exercise plan can be complicated, and you should consult your primary physician, but here are a few simple healthy living tips that you may not know about. Plates > Pyramid Did you know that the food pyramid we learned about as kids is no longer the most recommended way to divide up your meals? The U.S. Department of Agriculture has launched “MyPlate” to help educate people about the proper portion sizes for healthy eating….
Men May Need Vein Treatment Too
Billboards and advertisements for vein treatment commonly show a pair of smooth female legs—but men are also at risk for chronic venous insufficiency (CVI), the condition that causes varicose and spider veins, particularly as they age. Men may be living with unnecessary pain just because of a cultural misconception that vein problems are a strictly female issue. After exercising or working all day, men may feel leg pain but chalk it up to sore muscles or the unavoidable effects of aging. In some cases it could be a venous issue, and getting it treated could greatly improve their lives. There is a lack of awareness for men on venous issues….
Will Insurance Cover My Vein Treatment?
Many patients assume that vein treatments are considered cosmetic and thus not covered by health insurance, but that is not true. Consultation and Ultrasound The first step is to go for a consultation with the doctor. During the visit, he examines you and evaluates your venous disease and general health. At the same visit, he measures vein sizes and reflux times (the amount of time it takes for valves in the veins to close) using an ultrasound. When the valves don’t close correctly, the blood pools in your legs—causing swelling, pain, and varicose veins. The results of the consultation and ultrasound will be sent to your health insurance provider to…
The VenaSeal Story
VenaSeal is a new option for treating varicose veins using an adhesive to effectively “glue” the vein shut. The VenaSeal story began at Inland Imaging in Spokane, Wash., where vascular services manager Monte Madsen worked with Dr. Rod Raabe. “Dr. Raabe came into the clinic one day and said, ‘Hey, why couldn’t we treat veins with glue?’” Madsen says. “So I had the brilliant response of: ‘I don’t know. Why not?’” Madsen and Raabe teamed up and formed Sapheon with CEO Don Crawford. Together they brought on engineers, started animal testing and began developing a full-fledged product. Next up was the lengthy approvals process. VenaSeal was approved in Europe in…