Special Consumer Report

Transcription

1 Special Consumer Report 6 Traps To Avoid When Getting Your Leg Veins Treated Peter Ursel M.D Thank you for requesting this important report about leg veins and their treatment. If you re considering getting your leg veins treated there are several traps that you should avoid. This report shows you the 6 traps and then tells you the exact steps to take to ensure safe and effective vein treatments. Trap 1 No Ultrasound Available On Site In order to have your leg veins treated properly it is important that the exact anatomy of your leg veins is known. What you see on the surface of your legs is not the whole story. Surface leg veins are almost always the effect of a deeper problem. Visible varicose and spider veins are caused by veins in the deeper systems of the legs that have faulty valves. The only way to properly evaluate this is to look beneath the surface of the skin with a Duplex ultrasound machine. This machine shows how the blood is flowing and allows your doctor to see the direction of blood flow and pinpoint the location of the 1

2 valves. It is only when this information is known that the proper vein treatments can be carried out. In addition, two treatments, including foam sclerotherapy and endovenous laser treatment or EVLT cannot be performed without ultrasound guidance. Ultrasound guidance allows the doctor to visualize precisely the location of special medications and laser treatments as they are being performed. This makes these treatments both safe and precise. The bottom line is this. If you don t see an ultrasound machine in your doctor s office, you should probably consider having your vein treatments in a clinic that does! Trap 2 Only One or Two Treatment Methods Offered Modern day leg vein treatment is a complex area that takes many years to master. There are at least 3 main methods to treat veins including injection sclerotherapy, lasers and surgery. Also, there are many types of sclerotherapy solutions available at varying strengths. The skillful vein doctor has all of these vein treatments available and after assessing your problem will decide which treatments should be used and in what combination. Some clinics offer treatment of leg veins with lasers that go through the skin and offer no other modalities of treatment. Attempting to treat veins with only one type of treatment is akin to treating all types of infection with penicillin-it just won t work. 2

3 If a vein clinic does not offer a number of different treatment methods, there is a good chance you are not getting customized treatment, which can result in slow or inadequate results. Trap 3 Having Unrealistic Expectations Many people that have leg veins are under the impression that these problems can be permanently cured. There are some clinics that claim that they can cure you permanently of your leg veins. While this can occur in some instances, the truth is that many vein problems (especially spider veins) will recur in time either in the same place or in other places on the legs. A realistic expectation is that there is a good chance that your leg veins can be dramatically improved, but will need some maintenance treatments over time. Therefore, beware of any clinic or doctor that promises a cure and you re your legs will always look perfect after treatment as this is very often not the case, even in the most skilled clinician s hands. Trap 4 Potential Complications Not Discussed The treatment of leg veins has advanced tremendously in the last 10 years and the complication rate has dropped considerably. Traditional surgical treatment with stripping and ligation is almost a thing of the past as this treatment had frequent complications such as scarring, infection and the occasional deep vein thrombosis. However, there are still complications that can occur with leg vein treatments, including discoloration of the skin, skin ulceration and deep vein thrombosis. 3

4 These complications are rare but still possible and you should be advised that these could occur. Make sure that you are aware of the complications that are possible and that you are given instructions to minimize your chances of getting them. Trap 5 Expecting Instant Results Some people are under the impression that everything can be done in one visit and for the vast majority of patients, this is not so. Most successful vein treatments require several visits, not only to perform the treatments but to monitor for complications. For example, follow-up visits are important following Endovenous Laser treatments and Sclerotherapy treatments as occasionally, blood can get trapped in the veins resulting in discoloration and hard uncomfortable bumps on the legs. This minor complication is easily treated but cannot be treated unless it is monitored for and diagnosed on follow-up visits. Expect your vein treatments, regardless of the type, to be a series of visits. This is the way to ensure the best results in the safest way possible. Trap 6 Lack of Educational Materials Before undergoing any vein treatment, you should have a good understanding of the causes of your varicose veins and the treatments available. Make sure that your vein doctor has good educational materials available and that you have a thorough understanding of your problem, before you get treatments. 4

5 Thank you for requesting information about varicose veins. If you follow the guidelines above, there is a good chance that you will have an excellent outcome from your vein treatments. If you have any further questions about vein treatments, please call our office at Resource Box. Dr. Peter Ursel has been treating and educating vein patients for over 17 years and has treated more than 7,000 people. 10 years ago he introduced EVLT or Endovenous Laser Treatment to the Kawartha Area. Consultations for vein treatment are available at