I would rather a doctor instead of a MA perform sclerotherapy on the bulging veins in my hands. Are there many doctors that perform this procedure? If so, what credentials do I look for?
Relatively few doctors perform hand vein sclerotherapy. The best credential is experience. You should make sure they have performed many hand vein procedures. There is no substitute for experience. Treatment of hand veins is controversial even among very experienced vein care practitioners because the belief is that hand veins may be vital in an emergency situation. As a specialist who is routinely consulted for venous access, I do not see a valid reason to not treat hand veins if they are bothering the patient. Without going into details, hand veins are rarely used in an emergency or even critical hospital situations.
Published on Jul 11, 2012
There are no credentials. Have they done this before? How many times? All of this would be more useful information. Hand veins can be removed either through microphlebectomy or sclerotherapy. The problem is not the veins, it is loss of the fat layer and skin thinning, both of which are the result of aging. Fillers are more appropriate for some patients.
Published on Jul 11, 2012
It is important to look for a doctor who has experience with this highly specialized procedure.
Published on Jul 11, 2012
I would recommend you seek out a seasoned vein specialist who has experience with leg vein sclerotherapy. Requests for hand vein sclerotherapy are rare, but the principle and technique are the same.
Published on Jul 11, 2012
When looking for a doctor to perform sclerotherapy, make sure he/she restricts their practice to the treatment of veins; meaning, vein treatment is their main specialty and niche.
Published on Jul 11, 2012
If you are looking for a doctor (MD or DO) to do your sclerotherapy, you could look for a vascular surgeon.
Published on Jul 11, 2012
Sclerotherapy for hand veins is not that common of a procedure. See a vein specialist MD. I would call first to see if the physician performs these types of procedures.
Published on Jul 11, 2012
I would recommend a physician that is board certified in phlebology.
Published on Jul 11, 2012
Nobody in the medical field should be doing sclerotheapy on the hands. Rarely a laser technique may be used, but I do not recommend this procedure to anyone. Veins on the hands are necessary for IV access in emergency conditions and should not be destroyed. There are other methods to improve the look of your hands without removing the veins.
Published on Jul 11, 2012
There are clinics where doctors perform sclerotherapy on hand veins. However, it is not unusual for a registered nurse to do small touch-ups after the initial series. We do not allow MAs to inject in our office. That said, if the veins are larger bulging veins, we do not recommend injecting these. These will often have areas of "trapped" blood after injections, which can be uncomfortable and cause pigmentation. Also, additional office visits are needed to release this blood. In these cases, microphlebectomies might be performed, whereby the larger veins are removed through tiny punctures/incisions. There are no sutures involved. Cosmetically it is faster and often more cost effective, with little in the way of complications. Therefore, I would recommend a vascular surgeon who is experienced in doing this procedure on hands and other vein treatments.
Published on Jul 11, 2012
Look for a doctor that is board certified by the American Board of Phlebology.
Published on Jul 11, 2012
You should look for a doctor that is a "board certified" vascular surgeon and has experience with the treatment of delicate hand veins.
Published on Jul 11, 2012
An interventional radiologist would be the preferred doctor for vein treatments in general.
Published on Jul 11, 2012
There are a fair number of doctors that do sclerotherapy on hand veins. It would be best for the doctor to be a vein specialist or phlebologist who has experience performing on hand veins.
Published on Jul 11, 2012
There are no specific credentials for a physician to perform hand vein sclerotherapy and I do not know how many physicians who perform sclerotherapy will do that on hand veins. In addition to this, large hand veins may best be treated with a laser rather than sclerotherapy. I would recommend that you see a physician who has a dedicated interest in vein treatment and who has experience in treating hand veins. A diplomat of the American Board of Phlebology would meet those criteria.
Published on Jul 11, 2012