"The Know" is an informational resource concerning vein treatment options. It contains valuable information for prospective patients, physicians as well as those in the vein treatment industry. We will be regularly posting educational articles, video logs and other pertinent information. We encourage your feedback and welcome any suggestions that you feel may improve the blog.
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Friday, August 14, 2009
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Washing Your Bad Veins
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Foam sclerotherapy is a new technique used to treat varicose veins. A carbon dioxide foam detergent is injected directly into the veins and tracked by an ultrasound scanner. The foam pushes blood out of the varicose vein and causes the vein to close.
"It is a chemical, toxic agent to the wall of the vein, so basically what you're doing is you're irritating the inner lining of the vein" explains Dr. Rajagopalan Ravi to CBS News.
This is a much less invasive procedure and has a very quick recovery time. The foam washes all the blood from the problem vein and seals the vein shut. The entirety of the procedure takes about 15 to 20 minutes. This is a newer form of sclerotherapy which is still being tested by physicians across the nation.
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Tuesday, August 11, 2009
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Hand Veins
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Veins in the hands tend to develop as a person ages. Although some are born with noticeable veins on their hands, the majority of the population develops these veins as the elasticity in their skin decreases with age. These veins are typically not varicose veins and can be treated as a cosmetic issue.
Removing these veins will not affect the body's ability to pump blood to the hands. These veins are superficial and can be treated. In a sclerotherapy procedure, an injection is used into the veins. The injection solution is said to have a higher concentration than the injection used in leg veins. Recovery is very quick and there is little bruising after the procedure.
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Friday, June 19, 2009
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Make a Change
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This summer tis the season to make a change in your skim imperfections and ailments. Venous disease is both an aesthetic issue and a medical problem. There are speculations that nearly 80% of women suffer from some variation of spider veins and 40 million Americans are plagued with varicose veins. Both problems have the potential to turn into a more serious health issue like Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT).
One viable and effective option for removal is sclerotherapy, "Sclerotherapy: Using a tiny needle, a doctor injects the spider veins with a medicated solution that "causes them to collapse and permanently disappear," says Fredric Brandt, a dermatologist in Miami and New York. You'll probably need two to three sessions to eradicate a spider vein fully. Cost: $200 and up per treatment."
So this summer try to make some lifestyle changes as well. Limit the number of hours you spend crossing your legs ladies, travel safer with compression stockings and start taking up healthy exercise classes like yoga.
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Friday, May 01, 2009
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Insurance and Venous Disease
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For years now there has been a dispute and controversy over why varicose
veins and spider veins are not covered by insurance. For patients suffering
from severe cases of varicose veins, those turning into Deep Vein
Thrombosis, may have removal treatments covered, by why not those of us
opting for treatment for cosmetic reasons? After all, even if it is
cosmetic, venous disease is still an ailment that can lead to more serious
health problems.
Some would argue if the government was able to provide hundreds of thousands
of dollars for tattoo removal programs, why not provide funding for venous
disease treatment? Though it should be noted that sclerotherapy and some
stripping techniques are actually covered by insurance if the varicose and
spider veins are considered a health hazard by physicians. Hopefully soon
the dispute ends and insurance companies will cover all costs.
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Thursday, April 30, 2009
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Minimally Invasive Procedures Set to Expand Globally
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The United States and other western counterparts have been very successful
in implementing minimally invasive varicose vein removal procedures. From
laser treatments to radiofrequency occlusion, the market has significantly
expanded over the years. However, some are saying that the industry is
likely to grow in areas that require less-costly and time consuming
treatments like in Brazil.
PR News Wire discussed the possible increase, "The varicose vein treatment
device market in the country, widely considered to be one of the most
aesthetically-conscious in the world, is limited primarily by the Brazilian
universal public health system, which provides reimbursement for surgical
vein removal (stripping) procedures but not for more advanced, minimally
invasive procedures such as endovenous ablation and sclerotherapy. As a
result, patients must pay for these treatments out-of-pocket. Nevertheless,
procedure volumes for these minimally invasive alternatives will increase by
approximately 10% annually from 2009 to 2013 due to growing patient demand
for the superior cosmetic results and reduced postoperative pain associated
with these therapies."
Surgical stripping has long been considered the go-to for venous disease
treatment in many parts of the world. However, as people become more
aesthetically driven and the tools and techniques become readily available
in less privileged countries, it may boom as it did in the US.
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Tuesday, March 31, 2009
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Sclerotherapy Holds Strong
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Although there are a number of very efficient and effective varicose and spider vein removal treatments on the market, patients still consider sclerotherapy the gold standard for removal. In recent years a sundry of viable treatments have entered the industry, dermatologists and surgeons alike have grown an affinity for them, but often times patients rely on sclerotherapy because it has been around for years as a good alternative to invasive stripping methods.
MedIndia a health site says, "Sclerotherapy is a non-surgical procedure that permanently removes unwanted veins and is considered by dermatologists to be the gold standard for the treatment of spider veins. The procedure involves injecting a special sclerosing solution with a very fine needle into the blood vessel, which irreversibly alters the vessel wall and causes it to be absorbed by the body, so that it fully disappears over time."
Regardless of the removal treatment you choose, removing gnarled and ropy varicose and spider veins is essential to maintaining vein health, because sadly they often go untreated and may result in Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT).
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Thursday, March 19, 2009
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Get Insurance to Cover Vein Treatments
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For the 40 million Americans plagued with varicose and spider veins, some clinics around the nation offer removal treatments covered by insurance. Often times insurance companies consider venous disease as a purely aesthetic issue, however the disease can incite more serious ailments like Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT). Unsightly, ropy, gnarled and uncomfortable veins are just a few symptoms and signs of the disease. In fact, for those of you Southern California residents, a Thousand Oaks clinic is offering laser removal treatments covered by healthcare. The clinic is called the Renaissance Laser and Vein Institute of Southern California.
In a faltering economy it may be beneficial to your time (away from work) and bank account if healthcare providers can help you in your removal endeavours. As sclerotherapy and Radio Frequency Occlusion (both of which are great removal techniques) can be quite costly to your budget. So if you are seeking out removal methods inquire with your physician and vein expert about insurance coverage.
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Tuesday, March 17, 2009
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It's all in the Hands
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Typically when we think of varicose veins and venous disease we associate it with legs, however many dermatologists are saying it's all in the hands. Our age is given away so quickly by the appearance of our hands. We use and abuse the poor things. Although for those of us dealing with hand and vein health issues, there has been much success from sclerotherapy removing spider and varicose veins from our hands.
MedIndia reported, "Sclerotherapy can help minimize prominent hand veins and significantly improve appearance of the hands," she added. Sclerotherapy is a non-surgical procedure that permanently removes unwanted veins and is considered by dermatologists to be the gold standard for the treatment of spider veins. The procedure involves injecting a special sclerosing solution with a very fine needle into the blood vessel, which irreversibly alters the vessel wall and causes it to be absorbed by the body, so that it fully disappears over time."
Regardless of the location of the venous disease it is vital to vein health that we learn about the symptoms, treatments and removal methods for varicose and spider veins.
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Monday, March 09, 2009
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Aging Hands calls for Vein Treatment
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For those of you plagued with wrinkling and aging hands sclerotherapy is now being used as a treatment method. Sclerotherapy is most notable for being used on spider and varicose veins. Although most dermatologists see patients for facial treatments, many do consider having work done on their hands. Hands can show a persons age quite quickly, which is why so many baby-boomers are seeking out such treatments.
The Thai-Indian reports, "Sclerotherapy can help minimize prominent hand veins and significantly improve appearance of the hands, she added. Sclerotherapy is a non-surgical procedure that permanently removes unwanted veins and is considered by dermatologists to be the gold standard for the treatment of spider veins. The procedure involves injecting a special sclerosing solution with a very fine needle into the blood vessel, which irreversibly alters the vessel wall and causes it to be absorbed by the body, so that it fully disappears over time."
Another perk to sclerotherapy is the fact that it is considerably less expensive than laser treatments and likewise only takes 3-4 sessions each running for about 10-minutes for full removal.
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Monday, September 15, 2008
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Bicycling Helps Prevent Varicose Veins
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There are two very important aspects involved when it comes to getting rid of varicose veins. The one most commonly discussed is the medical treatment of varicose veins through procedures such as sclerotherapy or VNUS Closure Fast. However, the second aspect may be more important and that's prevention of varicose veins.
One of the best things that you can do for yourself if you want to prevent varicose veins from forming (and even to reduce or eliminate the varicose veins that you already have) is to get your blood pumping on a regular basis. There are a lot of different ways to exercise that can improve your varicose veins.
Some people have found that one of the best forms of exercise for preventing varicose veins is bicycling. It gets your legs moving and it gets your heart circulating blood properly through your body. It makes you feel better in general and it may get rid of your ugly veins so you also feel better about yourself!
Question of the Day: What activities do you enjoy that could help to reduce your varicose veins?
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