If varicose veins and other forms of venous disease keep you from enjoying the life you want, you’re not alone. More than 40 million Americans have painful, swollen legs as a result of venous disease. Minimally invasive treatment options are available to treat venous disease at the Vein Center.
If you have spider veins and feel uncomfortable about the way they look, the Vein Center offers sclerotherapy, a non-surgical procedure that permanently eliminates spider veins. We cosmetically treat spider veins with a procedure called sclerotherapy. This therapy is often considered the treatment of choice for small varicose veins and involves injecting a solution directly into the vein. The sclerotherapy solution forces blood to reroute through healthier veins leaving legs clear of unsightly veins. The procedure is done in the office.
Venous insufficiency happens where there are faulty valves in the veins. In a healthy vein, there are one-way valves that allow the blood to move toward the heart, but not away. In a diseased vein, these valves do not work properly; this allows the blood to fall downward between heartbeats. This back and forth motion of blood leads to an increased venous blood pressure resulting in inflammation of the tissues around the vein.
The number one risk factor for venous disease is something you can’t control: your genes. If your parents had varicose veins, you have an 89 percent chance of developing them.
In addition to heredity, other risk factors are related to …
Symptoms may include:
Venous disease can be treated with a minimally invasive procedure called endovenous thermal ablation. During this procedure, a catheter is inserted into the diseased vein using a small (2-3 mm) incision. Heat is applied to the vein wall, which causes it to close. The body then naturally re-routes the blood through other healthy veins.
The procedure is done under local anesthetic. Patients are usually up and walking immediately after the procedure and they return to their normal activities the same day. Many notice immediate relief of symptoms.
Most major insurance companies, including Medicare, cover this procedure.
Endovenous thermal ablation is different from sclerotherapy, which is used for the treatment of spider veins. Sclerotherapy is not covered by insurance because spider veins are often treated for cosmetic reasons, not medical reasons.
Your provider can discuss your coverage further at the time of the consultation.
To schedule a consultation with our Vein Center team for either venous disease or spider veins, call 812.280.1419.
James Van Daalen, MD is certified by the American Board of Surgery and the American Board of Thoracic Surgery.
Matthew E. Hennig, MD is a thoracic and vascular surgeon. He earned his Medical Degree from Texas Tech University and Bachelor of Science Degree from Texas A&M University.
Marla A. Beeler, MSN, FNP, APRN received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Indiana University Southeast and graduated cum laude with her Masters’ Degree from Bellarmine University. She is Board Certified by the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners. Marla offers in-office spider vein treatments for patients.
