Spider Veins and Varicose
Veins are very superficial veins which have been damaged
so that they no longer can pass blood effectively. The
blood pools in these veins and may appear red, blue,
or purple in color. These unsightly veins may appear
as a result of a number of factors, including pregnancy,
being on your feet for long periods of time, weight
gain,or simply genetics.
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| HOW ARE SPIDER VEINS
AND VARICOSE VEINS TREATED |
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| In our facility, we
treat all small veins from 0.5 to 4 mm in diameter with
an Nd:YAG laser When a laser is used to treat the veins,
results are seen gradually with each treatment, but
further treatments may be recommended for effectiveness
and maintenance. The laser is directed at the area of
the vein, penetrating the skin. As the laser light is
absorbed beneath the skin, it is converted to heat,
raising the temperature of the blood vessel, and then
safely coagulating the blood. This causes the vessel
to seal, and eventually the body removes the damaged
vein. The process may take from one to four months for
complete or nearly complete clearance to occur. |
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Is laser vein treatment
better or worse than treatment with sclerotherapy (injections
with medications that seal veins chemically)? |
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Lasers are
better at sealing very small veins (0.5-3mm) and have
fewer side effects than chemical treatment. For larger
veins, sclerotherapy or sugery is a better treatment. |
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How long do you have to wait for
complete clearance of leg veins and how many laser treatments
are needed? |
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Usually two
or three treatments a few weeks apart are needed, and
it may take up to 4 months for the veins to completely
disappear |
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Do laser vein treatments ever lead
to serious vascular problems like thrombophlebitis or
blood clots in the lungs? |
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No, treatment
of the small superficial veins with lasers has nothing
to do with serious diseases of the larger and deeper
veins or with blood clotting which may cause serious
medical problems. |
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* ALL FAQs ARE REAL QUESTIONS BY OUR PATIENTS AND
DR. GOODMAN'S ANSWERS |
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