IVY TRAINED VEIN DOCTORS | TOP RATED VEIN CENTER| SPIDER AND VARICOSE VEIN TREATMENT CLINIC
Why Do I Have Varicose Veins?
Varicose veins are diseased veins that are enlarged and twisted protruding from the skin. They can be asymptomatic for some individuals, while for many others constant distress that even affects daily routines. Untreated veins can also be an increased risk for DVT (deep vein thrombosis), bleeding and infection. Preventing long-term complications depends on early recognition and treatment measures.
The condition is often linked to one’s DNA and affects family members in high proportions. In fact, if one parent has a vein disease, there is a near 50% chance that their children will also be affected. With vein disease, high pressures build inside leg veins due to gravity. These veins have to perform a lot of work to return the blood back from your legs to the heart even under normal circumstances such as standing or sitting. Unlike the deep veins that are supported by the muscles within our legs, the superficial veins that cause varicose veins will stretch and dilate from this pressure. Over time, these vein walls can become weakened and start to develop reflux or venous insufficiency.
Venous insufficiency is more common in individuals who sit or stand for prolonged periods, increasing age, females, obesity, and most importantly patients with a family history.
Treatment is essential if you are experiencing symptoms such as leg pain, leg swelling, skin discoloration or restless legs. The treatment can be as simple as appropriate lifestyle changes and compression stockings. In some cases, additional treatments may be warranted and should only be done by a trusted vascular specialist with experience in vein disease. Our article today reviews the latest innovations for vein treatment in Princeton NJ.
Who Treats Varicose Veins?
A vein specialist is a doctor that specializes in treating varicose veins and the underlying condition, venous insufficiency. Ideally, your vein doctor in Princeton should have completed formal training in endovenous procedures during his/her residency and fellowship training. Qualified vein specialists will possess a training background in vascular surgery, interventional radiology or interventional cardiology. A recognition of competency is achieved with board-certification in one of these specialties and should be readily available to discerning patients. Other specialties including pain management, internal medicine, or family medicine do not hold any formalized training in surgical or minimally-invasive endovascular procedures. Their board-certifications are well deserved, however not in the treatment of varicose veins.
Minimally Invasive Varicose Veins Treatments
The most surprising fact to many patients seeking varicose vein removal is that surgery is not needed. Many patients recall stories about their parents undergoing extensive vein stripping procedures with painful and extended recovery periods. Those days are long gone. Instead, today’s procedures are minimally-invasive and suited for all types of vein conditions.
These minimally invasive treatments for varicose veins include:
- VenaSeal: Like most other vein treatments today, VenaSeal is also catheter-based technology. However, unlike ablation, the catheter is used to inject a medical adhesive that fuses the diseased vein closed. Over time, the vein is reabsorbed by the body.
- Radiofrequency ablation: Catheter-based technology that delivers radiofrequency generated heat to the blood vessel walls. The procedure is done with only small amounts of local anesthetic and can be completed in less than 30 minutes.
- Sclerotherapy: A medicated solution is injected in either liquid or aerated form (foam sclerotherapy). This medication acts as a sclerosant and disrupts the walls of diseased veins causing them to collapse and eventually be absorbed.
- Ambulatory Phlebectomy: This requires the most skill and patience, but still is minimally invasive. Tiny incisions are made over large, protuberant veins so that they can be directly removed. Unlike stripping, these procedures are done within the office and patients do not require any downtime. The best part, any large visible varicose veins are immediately removed leading to dramatic skin improvements.
- Clarivein: Another catheter-based technique with some special uses in certain varicose vein anatomy. In this case, mechanical force and sclerosant are used to eliminate diseased veins.
Why Princeton Vascular Center?
The Princeton Vascular Center offers modern varicose vein treatment in Princeton only in the hands of the best vein specialists in the country. Our vein doctors can be trusted to have completed formalized vascular training programs and have years of prior experience in treating vein disease. Most importantly, all our doctors have board-certifications in either vascular surgery or cardiovascular disease.
At our vein clinic in Princeton NJ, you can rest assured that you will be in the care of a board-certified vascular specialist. Dr. Alissa Brotman-O’Neill has been consistently named to Top Doc in SJ Magazine, NJ Top Doctors, Talk of the Town, and Compassionate Doctor on Vitals. As President-elect for the New Jersey Vascular Surgical Society, she is committed to remaining up to date on all the latest research and technologies in the treatment of vein disease. For more information, please schedule your spider vein and varicose vein consultation today.