Click HERE to view Before/After Photographs of Varicose Vein patients treated by Dr. Andrew Kwak.
What are varicose veins and how are they different from spider veins?
Varicose veins are veins on your skin surface that are raised and that you can feel. They are usually twisty and can occur anywhere on your leg and can even extend into your groin region.
Spider veins are smaller, fine clusters of veins on your skin that are not raised. These can be blue or red in appearance and can also be found on other areas of your body, such as on your face.
Below is a national news broadcast, which highlights
one of the hundreds of patients treated by Dr. Andrew Kwak:
Facts about varicose veins
Varicose veins affect an estimated 40% of women and 25% of men, and nearly half of people over the age of fifty. Factors increasing the probability of having varicose veins include a family history significant for vein problems, being female, pregnancy, and advancing age. Prolonged standing, obesity, hormone levels and physical trauma may also exacerbate the problem.
Why do varicose and spider veins occur?
Regardless of the size or if they are raised or non-raised, both varicose veins and spider veins are signs that your veins are not working normally. The job of veins is to carry blood out of your legs back to your heart. When veins inside of your leg, that you can’t see, aren’t working so well, the blood starts to collect or pool in your legs. This extra blood feeds the outside veins which become distended with too much pressure. These are varicose and spider veins.
What are the current treatments for varicose and spider veins?
Surgery (Ligation & Stripping): Use of traditional surgery has dramatically decreased due to the effectiveness of minimally invasive procedures. Surgery can be quite painful, has a long recovery time, and is associated with high recurrence rates of up to 25 percent. It is generally performed in an operating room, often with general anesthesia, and involves two large incisions at the groin and knee. The vein is tied off, cut and then stripped (from other attached tributaries) out of the leg. Bruising and swelling often occur post-procedure and nerve tissues surrounding the treated vein can be damaged, causing numbness or burning around the surgical scar. This treatment is not provided at the LUMEN Laser Center.
Compression Stockings: Stockings increase the efficiency of your leg circulation by squeezing your veins, decreasing the "pooling” effect of bad veins. Compression stockings are available directly from our office. Our experienced staff will measure your legs for a custom fit.
Sclerotherapy: This is a technique where solutions are injected into veins to cause them to seal. These veins are eventually absorbed by your body. This technique can be applied under visual or ultrasound guidance (Echosclerotherapy). Dr. Andrew Kwak is experienced in providing this treatment.
Superficial Laser Treatments: Laser light is applied to the skin surface to seal small veins, typically spider veins or varicose veins less than 3 millimeters in size. Dr. Andrew Kwak is experienced in providing this treatment, also known as transdermal laser therapy.
Endovenous Laser Ablation: This minimally invasive procedure offers the latest advance in the treatment of varicose veins. Dr. Andrew Kwak performs this treatment and has successfully performed it on hundreds of patients. This procedure is coverable by most insurance companies, and we are participating/in network with most insurance companies.
Advantages of Endovenous Laser Ablation:
Typically a 45-minute to 1-hour procedure
Uses only local anesthetic
Extremely high success rate
No scarring
No hospitalization
Low risk of complications
Fast return to normal activities
Description of the Endovenous Laser Ablation Procedure:
Using ultrasound guidance, a very small catheter is inserted into the malfunctioning vein. A laser fiber is inserted through the catheter and energized causing the vein to seal down on itself. The closed vein will eventually be absorbed by the body.
Patients are generally encouraged to walk immediately after the procedure and able to resume normal activities (aside from heavy lifting) the next day.
Don’t I need the vein(s) that are treated with the laser?
Closing “bad” or malfunctioning veins actually increases venous circulation as blood is diverted to normal healthy veins. The resulting improvement in venous circulation significantly improves appearance and relieves any associated symptoms.
