If there are multiple affected veins, we typically to space them about 2 days apart or even a week depending upon the patients lifestyle and work schedule. However, if you are concerned about the types of veins being treated it won't hurt to get a second opinion from a Board Certified Vascular trained surgeon who specializes in these treatments and does his own ultrasounds.

Published on Jul 11, 2012

Yes the veins are treated in stages due to the local anesthesia given.

Published on Jul 11, 2012

No. It is not. The way we recommend proceeding is as follows:

1) Perform a first procedure in the leg that causes the most symptoms, usually targeting the vein that appears to be the most important source of the problem. I would not propose any additional intervention on that leg until we can assess the degree of improvement that we obtained from the first procedure. That could normally be done a few weeks after the original procedure.

2) Plan a procedure for the other leg if it causes symptoms. Keep in mind that there is a small risk of blood clotting complications from those procedures. In order to minimize the risk, we avoid doing those procedures one after the other, within a short period of time. So it would be reasonable to wait for 3 to 4 weeks after the procedure on the first leg, to carry out the intervention for the second leg. This way, we are certain that you have not had any blood clot complication and that you are completely back to normal.

I become very concerned when I see some patients coming for a second opinion, who were given a proposed plan of several procedures to be done within a short period of time.This concern was shared by many of my colleagues at a recent meeting of the International Vein Congress in Miami.

Published on Jul 11, 2012