Look for Vein Centers with Minimally Invasive Vein Treatments
If you’re wondering how to choose the right vein treatment for you, the first step is to choose a minimally invasive vein center. Cosmetic vein centers can’t treat varicose veins, large spider veins, or the underlying causes. Successful vein treatment requires determining the cause, so you don’t continue to develop them. Surgical vascular centers are often too invasive for vein treatment. While surgery was once a common vein treatment, it’s now reserved for veins with blood clots or extreme tortuosity.
If you have spider veins or varicose veins, the best solution is often more invasive than cosmetic treatments but less invasive than surgery. Minimally invasive vein treatments go beneath the surface of the skin and treat the vein directly. But they don’t require surgical incisions, anesthesia, or hospitalization. Book an appointment at a minimally invasive vein center in New Jersey to discuss treatment options. Here are some of the options we provide.
- Sclerotherapy (Asclera or Varithena)
- Radiofrequency Ablation (ClosureFast)
- Mechanochemical Ablation (ClariVein)
- Vein Adhesives (VenaSeal)
Choose the Right Vein Doctor (It’s Rarely a Vascular Surgeon)
In recent decades, vein surgery has been largely replaced by minimally invasive vein treatments. Innovative technology allows vein doctors to close veins within the body rather than cutting them out. This reduces the risks associated with surgery, including anesthesia complications, infections, bleeding, scarring, nerve damage, blood clots, pain, and neovascularization.
In addition, surgery requires spinal or general anesthesia, a recovery period, and often hospitalization, so it’s a longer process for patients. Vascular surgeons perform surgery on a small percentage of vein patients, but they operate more on arteries and other vascular issues. So, if you choose a practice with vascular surgeons, make sure they’re also trained in minimally invasive procedures. Here’s what to look for.
- Medical degree from a reputable school
- Board certification by the ABVLM or ABMS
- Minimally invasive vein specialist
- Offers several treatment options
- Works in an accredited vein center
- Has a proven track record of success
Determine What the Vein Specialists Are Board Certified in
Many vein specialists aren’t board certified in vein medicine or vascular surgery. In fact, doctors aren’t required to be board certified in anything to practice medicine. That’s a separate designation that indicates superior expertise in a particular field of medicine. Becoming board certified requires extra training and additional exams, and it’s an indication of a doctor’s commitment to excellence. It’s also verification by a discerning committee that the doctor is superior at treating varicose veins and spider veins.
So, choose a vein doctor who is board certified in a vascular field. The American Board of Venous and Lymphatic Medicine (ABVLM) certifies doctors specifically in vascular and lymphatic medicine. So, this designation means the doctor is certified to treat your veins. The American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) certifies doctors in many fields, so check their field of study. Interventional, vascular, and diagnostic radiology, as well as vascular surgery are valuable certifications for treating veins. Here are three New Jersey vein doctors with these qualifications.
Dr. Todd Kobriski- ABVLM certified
Dr. Mitchell Karmel- ABMS certified
Dr. Andrew Cortes- ABMS certified
Ask Whether They Treat Both Varicose Veins and Spider Veins
It’s important to choose a vein specialist who treats both varicose veins and spider veins for two reasons. One reason is that specialists who only treat spider veins probably aren’t board certified in vein-related medicine. They might be dermatologists, cosmetic surgeons, or estheticians. Surface treatments like topical lasers don’t treat the cause. They’re rarely covered by insurance since they’re considered cosmetic or elective. So, choose a comprehensive vein center for effective, affordable vein care.
The second reason is that people who have spider veins in their legs are more likely to develop varicose veins too. That’s because both types of vein damage stem from Chronic Venous Insufficiency which results from valves failing to close tightly inside a vein. When valves don’t seal, blood flows in reverse, elevating pressure in the vein. This causes bulging, protuberant varicose veins and new branches of spider veins. Some patients even develop both types of vein damage in the same spot. You need a vein doctor who can treat varicose veins, spider veins, and Chronic Venous Insufficiency. Otherwise, your treatment might fail or produce temporary results. Patients with Chronic Venous Insufficiency often develop new vein damage until it’s addressed.
Discuss Treatment Options with Your Vein Specialist
At your initial consultation, the vein specialist will conduct a thorough medical exam and ask about your symptoms and concerns. They’ll look at your veins and order additional tests if needed, such as lab work or vein mapping. Then, they’ll discuss your treatment options. No treatment is right for everyone. The vein doctor will consider several factors, including your preferences, before creating a treatment plan. Our patients often comment on our commitment to answering each question and involving patients in their treatment plans. We look forward to meeting you and determining your best course of action. Below, you’ll find a description of some of the most common treatments.
Choose the Right Vein Treatment for You
Our New Jersey vein centers offer several minimally invasive vein treatments, so you can choose what you prefer from the options you’re eligible for. With non-surgical procedures, patients can walk around after treatment and drive themselves home, if they choose to. There is no downtime for recovery. Many patients complete treatment during a lunch break and go back to work. So, no matter which minimally invasive vein treatment you choose, it won’t disrupt your life. Here’s how each treatment works, so you know what to expect.
- Sclerotherapy: The vein doctor injects a sclerosant into the vein to irritate and close it. It does not require any anesthetics, and it’s done in 15 to 20 minutes.
- Vein Adhesives: The vein doctor injects cyanoacrylate glue into the vein to seal it. It doesn’t require anesthesia and it takes about 20 minutes.
- Mechanochemical Ablation: The vein doctor injects a sclerosant through a rotating catheter. The rotation and the sclerosant both disrupt the vein’s walls and collapse it. This process requires no anesthesia, and it might include ultrasound guidance. It takes 20 to 30 minutes.
- Radiofrequency Ablation: The vein doctor inserts a tiny, hollow catheter through which they thread a fiber. They surround the vein with injectable tumescent anesthesia to protect the adjacent area from heat. Then they heat the fiber with radiofrequency to cauterize the vein. This treatment only requires a local anesthetic and it takes 20 to 30 minutes. Doctors often use ultrasound guidance.
- Endovenous Laser Ablation: This treatment works just like radiofrequency ablation, except the vein doctor heats the vein with lasers instead of radiofrequency. Lasers get hotter than radiofrequency, so our doctors find radiofrequency to be more comfortable for our patients.