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Summer is Approaching – Take Care of Your Legs Now
Posted on May 8th, 2012
With Memorial Day and the official kick-off of summer around the corner, people are becoming increasingly aware of how their legs look in summer attire. It is much easier to conceal bulging varicose veins and spider veins under the long pants of winter, but the constant reminder of the presence of those leg veins can send people running to day spas or laser vein centers to have the veins treated. While it is important to have self-confidence and self-esteem in your summer clothes, it is important to remember that varicose veins and leg spider veins are a symptom of a larger health problem. The underlying cause of these veins is chronic venous insufficiency, a progressive disease that can lead to serious and even life-threatening conditions if not treated properly. Because of the medical necessity of treating these veins properly, varicose vein treatment is typically covered by insurance.
If you have prominent leg veins, with or without other symptoms such as leg heaviness, edema (leg swelling), achy or tired legs, or more severe symptoms such as leg ulcers or DVTs, you should seek out a physician who specializes in the vasculature and who can conduct a proper ultrasound diagnosis of the underlying cause of your varicose veins. A Vascular Surgeon is well-equipped to handle the diagnosis and the treatment of these leg veins.
Laser vein centers typically use surface lasers to treat only the superficial appearance of the veins, resulting in recurrence and providing only temporary visual relief. If the chronic venous insufficiency is not addressed, these veins will return and the disease will continue to progress to more painful and more bulging veins. Endovenous laser therapy is a minimally invasive surgical procedure with very little to no downtime. New modalities, such as the VenaCure EVLT 1470 laser, have been proven to cause very little pain and can help prevent a lifetime of chronic symptoms. Because this is a minimally invasive surgical procedure, it should be performed by a Vascular Surgeon in an office setting that is established for the procedure. This ensures the complete safety and efficacy of the vein treatment. In addition to endovenous treatments, vascular surgeons can also perform injection sclerotherapy into smaller, less tortuous spider veins. This procedure is often offered as an adjunctive treatment with endovenous therapy, or it can be offered as a stand-alone procedure or series of sessions to immediately collapse spider veins, resulting in an immediate improvement in the appearance of these veins.
Don’t delay in taking care of your legs – and your health! Why wait to look AND feel better?
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Finding a doctor can be a daunting task. This is someone with whom you will need to build a deep and rather personal relationship, and for whom the patient must have respect and trust. Often times, people will find a doctor by way of a referral from a friend or family member. Other times people conduct a search online or in the phone book. Some popular sites to search for a physician’s credentials include www.healthgrades.com or www.vitals.com. These are both very effective ways of finding a physician. A combination of credentials, insurances accepted, distance from home, and recommendations from trusted sources should all be taken into account when finding a doctor. Other things to keep in mind are the hospital affiliations for that doctor. You will want to select a doctor who has admitting privileges into a solidly ranked hospital in case of an emergency. Finally, it is wise to double check a specialist with your insurance company to ensure that the doctor accepts your insurance. However, choosing a specialist, such as a Vascular Surgeon, can be a bit trickier if you don’t know what to look for.
At the NYU Vein Center in Morristown, we find that most of our patients have come by a referral from a primary care physician or Cardiologist who noticed that the patient is displaying symptoms of varicose veins or vascular disease. However, varicose veins are often a condition that goes undiagnosed by primary care physicians. It is up to the patient to determine whether or not the discomfort or pain in the legs or the appearance of the veins is significant enough to warrant a visit to a Vascular Surgeon for a duplex ultrasound and proper diagnosis of venous reflux. So how do you know if the local Vascular Surgeon is right for you?
Similarly to finding a primary care physician, when looking for a Vascular Surgeon, it is important to get feedback from others who may have had a procedure performed at the practice. If you don’t know anyone who has had veins treated, searching online for testimonials can be helpful. In addition to the directory websites above, there are other resources for finding a specialist. Specialists such as Vascular Surgeons have gone through extensive training beyond their medical degree in their field of specialty. Most specialties have associations that board-certify these physicians within their specialty. For a Vascular Surgeon, you will typically want to find someone who has completed a fellowship in Vascular Surgery and who is board certified by an organization such as the American College of Phlebology. A Vascular Surgeon should also be board certified by the American Board of Surgery. In the field of diagnosing vascular disease, a new certification has recently been established. This is the Cardiovascular Credentialing International Registered Phlebology Sonographer (indicated as RPhS after the MD). This certificate ensures that you will receive a thorough diagnostic exam. It is important to have such an exam in order for the Vascular Surgeon to determine the best course of treatment for varicose veins or other vein disease.
When you are on your quest to find a doctor, be sure to check for his or her experience, licensures, location, hospital admitting privileges, location, insurances accepted, and most importantly, schedule a consultation to meet with a physician to establish a rapport before you undergo a procedure. Making sure you are comfortable and able to communicate openly will help ensure a successful outcome.
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