Who is a Varicose Vein Specialist?
If your primary care doctor encouraged you to see a varicose vein specialist for vein therapy, you’ve come to the right place to find answers to your questions. When entrusting a doctor with your health, it is critical to understand who will be treating you and what they will do. Click HERE to book an appointment to seek treatment with a vein doctor at our vein clinic in NYC, or keep reading to learn about how a vein doctor can help you!
Vein Doctor = Phlebologist
A vein specialist is called a phlebologist, and they can come from a range of medical specialties, such as cardiology, anesthesiology, and emergency medicine, as long as they have the necessary training to treat veins. This title comes from the Greek term phlebos, which means “blood vessel”. Vein specialists, therefore, specialize with the diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of vein conditions.
Only a few decades ago, surgery was the only viable treatment option for vein disease, so vascular surgeons were the only practitioners with the necessary competence and knowledge to treat these conditions. However, thanks to advancements in minimally invasive techniques, any doctor can be trained to become a vein expert.
Qualifications
Being board-certified signifies that a doctor has received extra training in the specialized field and has demonstrated a high level of knowledge in this field. This additional training assures that a doctor has the highest qualifications, so it is important to select a vein clinic that employs board-certified specialists.
The most effective way to assess a phlebologist is to go to the clinic’s website and read about their credentials, success stories, and patient testimonies. To ensure that you receive the finest vein treatment possible, find a vein doctor who is highly trained and proficient in ultrasonography and minimally invasive methods. It is also vital that you select a vein doctor who is compassionate, empathetic, sensitive, and able to communicate well with you during the course of therapy.
What Does a Varicose Vein Specialist Treat?
The symptoms of vein disease are subtle, but worsen over time and can be confused with the normal aging process, so if you have a significant number of visible veins, make an appointment at a vein center to see a vein doctor who can help you determine if you have a vein disease and if you need vein treatment.
Cause of Vein Disease
Veins in the body have one-way valves that make sure blood flows in one direction back to the heart, while blocking blood from returning to the limbs. However, when the valves in the veins become leaky, it causes venous insufficiency.
Signs of Vein Disease
The visual manifestations of sickness are referred to as signs. Spider veins and varicose veins are frequent symptoms of vein disease that can worsen with time unless the underlying venous insufficiency is treated, so make sure to schedule an appointment at a vein clinic to seek vein therapy as soon as you see them.
Spider veins:
- are thin, at less than a millimeter in diameter
- resemble red, blue, or purple spider webs
- can be found in clusters on the legs or face
Varicose veins:
- are much bigger than spider veins, at over three millimeters in diameter
- resemble a knotted rope, with uneven distribution and areas that bulge
- are found in the legs, inner thighs, buttocks, and lower pelvic regions
Symptoms of Vein Disease
Symptoms are the consequences of vein disease that you can feel. These include:
- Heaviness or soreness in the legs, especially after a long day on your feet
- Leg fatigue and foot or ankle swelling
- Leg cramps caused by a lack of circulation, which would normally transport away the extra lactic acid produced by regular muscular activity
- Varicose and spider veins that itch, burn, or throb
How Does a Varicose Vein Doctor Diagnose and Treat Vein Disease?
Medical History
When you go to a vein clinic, the vein doctor will try to get a comprehensive family history and physical picture of your health by asking you about your symptoms and evaluating if you have any risk factors.The vein expert will then perform a physical examination to look for unhealthy veins before ordering imaging of your legs if he or she feels you have venous insufficiency.
Imaging
Duplex Ultrasound is the best type of imaging for venous disease. It combines Doppler, which shows the doctor the speed and direction of blood flow in a blood artery, with traditional ultrasound, which shows black and white images of the inside of the body, to provide the doctor a wealth of information about your veins.
The ultrasound technologist will check the deep veins in the legs for blood clots before scanning spider or varicose veins that are causing discomfort or irritation. They will also ensure that the saphenous vein valves (GSV and SSV) are functioning properly by ensuring that blood flows in the proper direction.
Treatment Options
Depending on your individual condition, the vein doctor may give you three options: VenaSeal, varithena, and radiofrequency ablation. All of these treatment approaches effectively block off any unhealthy veins that are creating blood flow problems in order to reroute the blood through healthy veins. They all take less than a half-hour and are relatively painless. Because there is no anaesthetic or recuperation time required, you may go home or back to work immediately following the vein treatment clinic operation.
It’s essential to choose a vein doctor that is skilled in minimally invasive techniques so you can be confident you’re getting the best vein care possible. Our vein clinic in NYC is accessible by both Grand Central Station and Penn Station and is close to major landmarks such as the Empire State Building. The Vein Treatment Clinic New York offers physicians that care about your health and will consult with you to help you recover. If you are ready to finally seek treatment for your varicose veins and vein disease, visit the Vein Treatment Clinic now!