Vein Health Blooger

EVLT(Endovenous laser treatment)

2011-10-01T06:36:00.000-07:00

Varicose Vein Treatment with the EVLT Procedure

During the procedure, a catheter bearing a laser fiber is inserted under ultrasound guidance into the great saphenous vein (GSV) or small saphenous vein (SSV) through a small puncture. The catheter is then advanced (also under ultrasound guidance) to the level of the groin or knee crease. Diluted local anaesthetic is injected around and along the vein (perivascular infiltration). The laser is activated while the catheter or laser fiber is slowly withdrawn, resulting in obliteration of the saphenous vein along its entire length. The treatment, which is performed without sedation, usually takes between one and two hours, and the patient walks out under his or her own power. The leg is bandaged and/or placed in a stocking that the patient wears for up to three weeks afterwards. Foam sclerotherapy or ambulatory phlebectomy is often performed at the time of the procedure or within the first one to two weeks to treat branch varicose veins. However, some physicians do not perform these procedures at the time of the EVLT because the varicose veins can improve on their own as a result of reduced reflux from the great saphenous vein.

New Technology for Vein Treatment - Veinwave

2011-09-08T14:17:00.000-07:00

Veinwave

Veinwave is an electrical desktop device which uses a needle holder and a footpedal. The practitioner identifies the area for treatment and inserts an ultra-fine insulated needle into the needle holder. Different types of vein will require differing techniques but in respect of straight forward linear veins, the treatment it applied subepidermally along its length. This is minimally invasive, literally breaching only the top layers of skin, and should not pierce the vessel. The nickel needles are insulated with a micro sheath so as not to cause advert trauma to the surrounding tissue. The effect of the treatment is 'instant' - you see the veins disappearing immediately. Some patients leave the treatment without any real visible sign on the skin, other than the lack of veins, and some with more sensitive skin may suffer minor reddening which should disappear within a few days if not hours. The sensation to most is similar to a warm pin prick, others relate it to a minor sting but which does not linger - often it depends upon the location of the treatment. Either way, any discomfort is said to be incomparable to the pain of some laser based treatments and is undoubtedly more effective.

Immediately after the treatment you can resume everyday activities. Avoid the sun for a couple of days or use sun block. After a few days very small micro-crusts like the marks from a cat scratch can appear where Veinwave has been applied. This is normal and no special care is needed. These will disappear on their own. It is best not to retreat an area for 6 weeks. At that time your practitioner is best able to see if any small veins remain. Once a thread vein has been successfully treated it cannot come back. It is possible to make more thread veins but these too can be treated. Never use Veinwave on self-tanned skin

New Treatment option : VeinGogh

2011-08-07T13:10:00.001-07:00

VeinGogh

The VeinGogh Ohmic Thermolysis System provides a superior solution for the treatment of fine telangiectasia, spider veins and small angiomas, especially recalcitrant vessels that have shown a resistance to sclerotherapy, laser or IPL treatment. VeinGogh is the fast, easy way to reliably treat these and other cosmetically unacceptable conditions, often with less discomfort compared to older therapies.
While lasers and other light-based solutions are expensive, skin-type dependent and have an inherent risk of injury, VeinGogh uses a hair-thin, insulated probe to thermocoagulate and instantly eliminate vessels dependably, repeatably, on any skin-type and on any part of the body.
Does the treatment hurt?
On a pain scale of 1–10, with some laser treatments being an 8–9, VeinGogh is a 2–3. Since the procedure uses a hair-thin, insulated probe, there can be a slight "pinch.” Patients report it feels similar to a hair being removed.
Is there any downtime?
The precise nature of the VeinGogh treatment limits the risk of over-treating, so there is little to no trauma to the skin. Following treatment, there will be some mild redness that is transient.
How long is a typical treatment?
Depending upon the size of the area, treatments can range from about a minute for minor lesions on the nose, and up to 20–25 minutes for a more extensive condition covering much of the face or legs.
When will I see results?
Immediately, You will see continuous improvement over several weeks as the treated vessels are reabsorbed.
How many treatments are needed?
Generally only one to three treatments are necessary.
Will the veins come back?
Veins that have been properly treated will not return. However, new veins may develop over time and require retreatment. Follow-up visits are recommended for "touch-ups."
On what size vessels does VeinGogh work best?
VeinGogh works best on spider veins up to 0.3 mm. VeinGogh is not designed to treat feeders or larger vessels deep beneath the surface. Ideally, VeinGogh should be used in conjunction with sclerotherapy to effectively treat leg veins.
Does VeinGogh only work on veins?
No! VeinGogh can also be used to eliminate cherry angiomas, small hemangiomas, skin tags, spider nevi, and even the redness of rosacea.

What are Varicose veins?

2011-05-24T19:06:00.001-07:00

What are Varicose veins?

Varicose veins are abnormal veins that become large and tortuous. As a result, varicose veins bulge out and can be seen through the skin. They appear as rope-like structures protruding out from the skin and can occur throughout the legs and ankles.
Varicose veins occur due to a disease called "venous reflux." Healthy veins have tiny leaflets inside of them called valves. They allow blood to flow in one direction from the ankles towards the heart. When valves do not work, blood backs up in the legs and causes increased pressure in them. This causes the veins to enlarge and causes symptoms such as pain, heaviness, cramping, itching and burning of the skin. In advanced cases, this can lead to skin pigmentation, ulceration and bleeding.

Varicose Vein Removal, Westchester NY

Patients suffering from varicose veins often shy away from wearing clothes that reveal the legs, like shorts, skirts, bathing suits etc. But at our Atrium Laser Vein Center, located in Westchester NY, varicose veins will be just a thing of the past. If you are looking for varicose vein removal in Westchester, just walk into one of our offices or call for a free consultation.
With our advanced varicose vein treatments in Westchester NY, you will no longer have to be embarrassed about wearing skirts or shorts. Say Good-bye to your varicose veins. We have some of the best vascular surgeons in Westchester, New York.
For minimally invasive varicose vein surgery in Westchester, Atrium Laser Vein Center performs laser and venous closure procedures which are highly effective in getting rid of veins. Just walk into our office for consultation or call for an appointment.

Click here to read more about our treatment options

What are Spider Veins?

2011-05-24T19:00:00.001-07:00

Spider veins are also known as telangiectasia and occur at the earliest stages of venous insufficiency. They are formed by small skin veins that become dilated and are visible through the skin's surface. They can be blue, purple or red and are frequently extensive, forming various patterns of linear, starburst, or tree-like distribution. In the legs, they may be associated with varicose veins and venous insufficiency. They can be present in all areas of the body, including the face and the back.

Spider Vein Treatment ,Westchester NY

Spider veins can look very unattractive and many patients shy away from wearing clothes that reveal the legs, like shorts, skirts, bathing suits etc. But with our spider vein treatments, unsightly veins can be a thing of the past. If you are thinking of having an evaluation of your spider veins, just walk into one of our offices or call for a free consultation.
With our advanced treatments for spider veins at our convenient Westchester, NY office, you will no longer have to be embarrassed about wearing skirts or shorts. Our center performs laser procedures, Sclerotherapy and the newest Vein Gogh treatments for the spider veins of the legs and also face and hands.
If you live in or around Westchester, spider vein treatments are easily accessible at our locations. Take the first easy step towards a pain-free, more confident life by making an appointment for consultation.

Suffering is optional for Women with Venus Reflux Disease

2011-05-10T15:07:00.000-07:00

Pravin M. Shah, MD, FACS*
ATRIUM LASER VEIN CENTER

Do your legs ache or feel heavy especially during the second half of your menstrual cycle? Are you embarrassed to wear a bathing suit or show your legs in public because of unsightly veins on your legs? If the answer is yes then most likely you may be suffering with venous reflux disease.

Venous reflux disease is a disease of a venous system in the leg, which result in venous congestion and varicose veins. It is estimated that two thirds of adult women have physically identifiable varicosities and one in five women have severe venous insufficiency.
Blood is pumped by the heart and circulated throughout the body via arteries. The arteries ultimately end in tiny pipes called capillaries. After delivering oxygen to the tissue and carrying back metabolic waste, blood return to the heart by a series of pipes called veins. We have two venous systems in the legs, a superficial venous system and a deep venous system. The superficial venous system is what we see often under our skin. Two main superficial veins in the legs are a grater and a lesser saphenous vein. The deep venous system, as name applies, is hidden deep under the muscles.

Heart	Normal vein		Dilated vein

Legs	Open Valve	Closed valve	Leaky Valve

Illustration courtesy of VNUS medical technologies
When we walk, a pumping action of the calf muscle facilitates an upward movement of the blood in the vein. One-way valves at the multiple levels in the vein facilitate movement of the blood against gravity. Blood normally travels from the superficial system to the deep system in the leg. One of the most important valves in the vein, near the groin, is called saphno-femoral valve. This valve is at the junction between greater saphenous vein (superficial vein) and femoral vein (deep vein) and prevents blood going to the superficial system from the deep system. When valves in the vein are defective, the blood leaks (venous reflux) and instead of moving upward towards the heart pools down in the leg causing venous stasis (venostasis) or venous congestion. Over the course of time vein and its branches (tributaries) in the leg enlarges to become prominent bulge and ultimately awful looking varicose veins. When a vein abnormally dilates, its valves become incompetent and create a vicious circle. Hormonal changes during the menstrual cycle aggravate the situation.
The symptoms of venous congestion and venous reflux vary from mild discomfort to ugly looking veins, severe pigmentation and ulceration of skin. It is unfortunate that many women suffer silently from symptoms of venous reflux disease. The dull aching pain, heaviness, fatigue (especially at the end of the day) relieved by elevation of legs, is accepted as normal. On the other hand many young women go through the life feeling self-conscious and are embarrassed to go to the beach or attend pool party because of the presence of unattractive veins on the legs.
Diagnosis of venous reflux disease is easily made by a physician on clinical examination and confirmed by a non-invasive ultrasound examination.
Once the diagnosis is made the treatment can be as simple as wearing medical grade support stockings. Today many companies make a sheer quality attractive support stocking with different skin tones. Proper use of support stockings and exercise to promote venous return to the heart relieves congestion in the legs and symptoms related to venous pooling. In addition this simple step would prevent or delay in forming bulging of the veins that ultimately may become varicose veins.
In many complex cases where the reflux is severe enough to cause significant varicosities in the leg, there used to be a surgical procedure called ligation and stripping of the greater saphenous vein. The procedure is performed under general or spinal anesthesia and associated with significant pain in the postoperative period. Many women are understandably afraid to undergo this surgical procedure.
Today modern technology allow us to use alternative minimally invasive procedure called vein closer (Vnus Closer) instead of traditional ligation and stripping. The procedure involves inserting a catheter into the damaged vein through a small incision. The catheter delivers radio frequency energy to the vein wall to shrink and seal it shut. Most patients are much pleased with this procedure because not only it is almost pain free but it also allows them to resume normal activity immediately after the treatment.
Once the reflux is taken care, unattractive spider veins or small varicose veins can effectively and safely be treated by minimally invasive simple procedures like laser treatment, sclerotherapy, vein Gogh or mini phelbectomy with good result. The Laser treatment is generally used for treating spider veins. Laser energy is applied to small veins by a probe on the skin, this causes the vessel walls to coagulate and the spider veins disappear. Sclerotherapy is a method in which sclerosing solution is injected directly in the vein by a tiny needle. The solution causes the vein wall to become sticky. Compression is then applied which causes it to close up and eventually be absorbed by the body.   Miniphlebectomy is a procedure used to treat localized larger veins. Tiny punctures are made over the skin numbed by an anesthetic solution. A varicose vein is removed using a special hook. Incisions are small and usually do not require stitches.
Thus use of support stockings, exercise and proper selection of minimally invasive procedure, if needed, relives the suffering from venous reflux disease. Over all quality of life is certainly improves with pain free and good looking legs.
.
Pravin Shah, MD FACS, RVT
* Professor of Surgery
     New    York Medical
     Co-founder of Atrium Laser   Vein Center
4/28/2011