80 Million Americans Needlessly Suffer From Varicose Veins And Spider Veins For No Good Reason!

“I haven’t worn shorts or short dresses in years.” I hear this time and time again from my patients who are traumatized and emotionally crippled by their spider veins, the tiny blue, red, or purple veins that weave under the skin like a wicked spider’s web.

Unfortunately, many patients are told by their physicians that they shouldn’t have them treated until after they are done having children. This is totally incorrect! Spider veins should be treated prior to, in between, and after childbirth.

The build-up of pressure in the veins is the usual culprit behind spider veins.

The main reason is heredity. If your mother or father have spider veins, there is a 50 - 60% chance that you will have them. The chance is even greater if both parents have been inflicted with them.

Other causes include hormonal changes, such as puberty, birth control pills, pregnancy, menopause, and hormone replacement therapy. Being overweight, receiving an injury to the area, standing or sitting for a prolonged time, and simply getting older may all cause spider veins to appear.

The first step in treating spider veins is to have an in depth consultation with a Phlebology specialist, a physician who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of varicose and spider veins. Phlebology is a relatively new specialty in modern medicine, at least here in the U.S.

A dedicated specialty in Europe for over 50 years, it has been gaining ground in the U.S. for the last 15 years and is now an American Medical Association sanctioned specialty. This area of expertise is dedicated to the diagnosis and treatment of varicose and spider veins which affect over 80 million Americans.

A Phlebology specialist realizes that every problem that appears on the surface, as minor as it may seem, is usually a result of some underlying problem. A specialist will properly assess your individual situation and provide you with the appropriate treatment options. This is to make sure the underlying problem doesn’t resurface.

Many physicians and nurses usually treat spider veins with a saline injection or laser. These methods are just not capable of treating the underlying damaged reticular veins that are the real source of the spider veins. This almost always requires specialized equipment that can see under the patient’s skin.

As a result, the treatments are many times temporary or will make the patient’s problem much worse. The treatments usually involve a series of tiny injections, and the number of treatments is determined by the quantity of veins, since there is a limit to the quantity of sclerosant that can be given.

We find that even those that are needle phobic tolerate the almost painless procedure very well. The current method uses a foaming technique with specialized sclerosants that has been shown to be far more effective than sclerosants alone.

Although many patients want only certain areas treated, especially the ankles, this is not prudent.
Since patients are unaware of the underlying damaged reticulars, they need to be shown to the patient, and a proximal to distal method should be employed.

Ankles should be last and performed by someone with expertise in this area because of the dangers associated with the unique vascular supply.

It is also a good idea to take before and after pictures of the patient’s spider veins. Patients tend to forget how bad their legs looked before the procedure. Once you show them the old photos, they are completely blown away by the dramatic change in their appearance.

Post procedure typically offers no pain at all, and patients may return to their normal activities immediately. I always tell my women patients, "Yes, you can even go shopping after your procedure is done that same day.” They always love to hear that!

We employ medical-grade graduated compression stockings, typically Class 1 (20 – 30mmHG) for this group to minimize bruising, expedite the closing and sealing of these veins. They come in many styles, and most patients are not averse to wearing them. However, they do need to be fitted properly for best use.

We encourage all exercise activity, except for high impact exercise (i.e. running on hard surfaces). Occasionally, a patient will develop a tender lump on the treated vein. This is usually due to trapped blood because of partial closing and is not a blood clot.

If not treated within a few weeks by aspiration, hyper pigmentation will typically develop which is due to the heme (iron) in the blood extravasating into the tissues and staining them. Most times this will resolve on its own but can take up to a year if not treated early.

Other problems can occur but are rare and are discussed extensively with the patient prior to every treatment.

Going to the lake or beach in the summertime doesn't have to be a nightmare anymore for people inflicted with spider veins.

Dr. Sidney Kass is a board certified anesthesiologist and one of only a few physicians in the country who specializes full time in the Varicose Vein field. He has performed over 10,000 consults and procedures on patients from around the U.S.

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