The Advanced Skin & Vein Care Centers was founded by Dr. Ziad Sara in 2011. Dr. Sara vein specialist lexington ky has 4 Board Certifications/Board Diplomats and holds the distinction of being Certified by the American Board of Venous & Lymphatic Medicine, as well as being Certified by Cardiovascular Credential International as Registered Phlebology Sonographer (RPhS). Dr. Sara personally performs all endovenous laser ablations, sclerotherapy treatments, & ambulatory phlebectomy treatments. He also personally interprets all ‘road map’ ultrasound tests that each new patient undergoes. Located in Lexington and Georgetown Kentucky our state of art Vein Care Centers provide the most advanced technology to treat all types of vein disorders. Please visit our Vein Care Center website www.lexingtonveincenter.com for more information.

 

How are varicose and spider veins treated?

 

Compression stockings.

Compression stockings put helpful pressure on your veins.

 

Sclerotherapy

Sclerotherapy is the most common treatment for both spider veins and varicose veins. The doctor uses a needle to inject a liquid chemical into the vein. The chemical causes the vein walls to swell, stick together, and seal shut. This stops the flow of blood, and the vein turns into scar tissue. In a few weeks, the vein should fade. This treatment does not require anesthesia and can be done in your doctor's office. You can return to normal activity right after treatment. The same vein may need to be treated more than once. Treatments are usually done every 4 to 6 weeks. You may be asked to wear gradient compression stockings after sclerotherapy to help with healing and decrease swelling. This treatment is very effective when done correctly.

Possible side effects include:

•Stinging, red and raised patches of skin, or bruises where the injection was made. These usually go away shortly after treatment.

•Spots, brown lines, or groups of fine red blood vessels around the treated vein. These also usually go away shortly after treatment.

•Lumps of blood that get trapped in vein and cause inflammation. This is not dangerous. You can relieve swelling by applying heat and taking aspirin. Your doctor can drain the trapped blood with a small pinprick at a follow-up visit.

 

Surface laser treatments

Laser treatments can effectively treat spider veins and smaller varicose veins. This technique sends very strong bursts of light through the skin onto the vein. This makes the vein slowly fade and disappear. Not all skin types and colors can be safely treated with lasers.No needles or incisions are used, but the heat from the laser can be quite painful. Cooling helps reduce the pain. Laser treatments last for 15 to 20 minutes. Generally, 2 to 5 treatments are needed to remove spider veins in the legs. Laser therapy usually isn’t effective for varicose veins larger than 3 mm (about a tenth of an inch). You can return to normal activity right after treatment.

Possible side effects of lasers include:

 

•Redness or swelling of the skin right after the treatment that disappears within a few days

•Discolored skin that will disappear within 1 to 2 months

•Burns and scars from poorly performed laser surgery, though this is rare

 

Endovenous techniques (radiofrequency and laser)

These methods for treating the deeper veins of the legs, called the saphenous veins, have replaced surgery for most patients with severe varicose veins. These techniques can be done in a doctor’s office. The doctor puts a very small tube, called a catheter, into the vein. A small probe is placed through the tube. A device at the tip of the probe heats up the inside of the vein and closes it off. The device can use radiofrequency or laser energy to seal the vein. The procedure can be done using just local anesthesia. You might have slight bruising after treatment. Healthy veins around the closed vein take over the normal flow of blood. The symptoms from the varicose vein improve. Usually, veins on the surface of the skin that are connected to the treated varicose vein will also shrink after treatment. If they don’t, these connected veins can be treated with sclerotherapy or other techniques.

 

Surgery

Surgery is used mostly to treat very large varicose veins. Types of surgery for varicose veins include:Surgical ligation and stripping.