Posts Tagged Compression Stockings
Spider Vein Prevention
Posted by admin in Spider Veins on January 23, 2009
Patients often ask if there is anything that may be done to prevent the occurrence of new spider veins. The truth is the most important thing you can do to prevent spider veins is to choose your parents well. This is a joke, of course, but just as there is little you can do about choosing your parents so also there is little else you can do to prevent spider veins from appearing. Wearing compression stockings or taking supplements advertised for that purpose have not been shown to reduce their appearance. Treatment of spider veins that currently exist slows the process but does not prevent other spider veins that were destined to fail from gradually appearing. For this reason, most patients who elect to undertake the treatment of spider veins will need a single treatment session or, in more advanced cases, two sessions, every year or two to maintain what they have achieved. This is because the genetic “seed” is still in the veins. However, leaving the problem alone only allows it to worsen.
We specialize in the treatment of spider and varicose veins
Posted by admin in Spider Veins on January 21, 2009
Treating veins is all we do. No clinic in Knoxville or East Tennessee has more experience or preparation in the treatment of vein disease. At East Tennessee Vein Clinic, all treatment is performed by a full time board certified phlebologist, a specialist in vein disease. We believe that the treatment of vein disease merits a physician who dedicates their entire practice to the treatment of vein disease. We believe this combination of training and experience leads to better results of therapy. The process of treatment consists of two steps:
- Consultation is first done before any treatment. Most insurances cover consultation when there are extensive abnormal veins on the leg with symptoms of leg pain. If the consultation is entirely for cosmetic appearance without the presence of leg pain the charge is $75 which is later applied to the cost of cosmetic treatment. If at the time of consultation more extensive problems are found on ultrasound which require remedy and treatment with ultrasound mapping, endovenous laser or ultrasound guided foam sclerotherapy, an approval in writing is first obtained by our office from the insurance company showing treatment is covered by insurance and considered medically necessary.
- If the spider veins are entirely cosmetic the patient is scheduled for cosmetic sclerotherapy. The protocol of treatment of entirely cosmetic spider veins consists of taking photographs of the leg, measuring for compression stockings and beginning therapy. Treatment consists of 30 minute sessions of sclerotherapy by the physician. In the average patient the worst leg is treated on the first visit. The next leg is treated one to two weeks later in order to allow the doctor to assess whether any alteration in the concentration of solution used is indicated. After the first session in each leg there is usually about a 50% clearing in the appearance of spider veins even though all the veins were treated during the session. This is the “first coat”. 6-8 weeks are allowed before the third and fourth sessions. After the final session most patients will have had a 75-85% clearing in the appearance of the spider veins which is a significant improvement. After each session of sclerotherapy the patient is asked to walk while still in the office. Compression stockings are then worn during the day for the next three weeks which is the optimum time found by controlled studies to aid in the clearing of spider veins.
Treatment of spider veins Part 1
Posted by admin in Spider Veins on January 18, 2009
Treatment can consist of a number of means. Elevating the legs reduces the congestion inside the veins and relieves symptoms. Compression stockings reduce the amount of blood that pools inside the veins and also reduces pain.
Definitive treatment consists of either injection therapy (sclerotherapy) or lasers. Lasers have been promoted by many manufacturers in the treatment of spider veins and many physicians, listening to them, have purchased these expensive machines and marketed them to their patients. Lasers have only had modest success in the treatment of spider veins in the legs, however, because the complex relationship of one cluster of spider veins to another on the leg causes untreated veins to flow back into areas treated by topical lasers andreopen. Consequently, many more treatments are necessary to gain a very modest amount of improvement. Also, patients are frequently surprised as to how painful the lasers. The lack of predictable or significant success has prompted the American College of Phlebology to recommend that lasers should be reserved for those patients with very small veins inaccessible to injection therapy or who are markedly needle phobic. Facial spider veins are preferentially treated with laser though they may be treated with sclerotherapy as well.
Sclerotherapy (injection therapy) remains the “gold standard” in the treatment of spider vein disease of the legs where most spider veins occur. Solutions injected inside the veins with very fine (30 gauge) needles cause the veins to scar shut and so the veins gradually wither away.
Part 2 of Treatment of spider veins will be here tomorrow!