American Society of Plastic Surgeons | Health And Wellness Tips

Can You Get Spider Vein Treatment

Can you get spider vein treatment? That is one question that only your doctor can answer after conducting a thorough physical examination and reviewing your medical history.

The patients medical history is important because spider vein could be caused by age, heredity, medication or pregnancy. If you think that only females get it, men also do but it is rare for men to undergo treatment so this can be removed.

If you are considering spider vein treatment, you have to be physically fit because people who have circulatory problems, diabetes, heart condition or a blood born disease like hepatitis or AIDS cant undergo this procedure.

One issue that prevents some from undergoing spider vein treatment is the cost. It may be as low as $150 per leg but this could be much higher depending on how many veins have to be treated, how large are the veins, the experience of the doctor and where this will be done.

If you cant afford it, you may want to check if your insurance will be able to cover it. The bad news is that it is rarely covered by your provider because spider veins are considered to be a cosmetic problem, nothing else. If you are lucky, you will be required to present photographs or laboratory studies before your request is approved.

The procedure used by most doctors today is called sclerotherapy. Here, the doctor will inject needles into the affected veins. Studies have shown that the patients condition will improve by 50 to 90 percent but this takes months. The end result is that the spider veins will disappear but this does not prevent new ones from appearing later on.

Patients who choose to undergo sclerotherapy will be on an operating table for about 15 to 45 minutes. Again, this depends on how many veins need to be treated. Anesthesia is not used all throughout and you are awake the whole time. Since the needles are so thin, the only thing you will feel is a prick.

Once you have been injected with the fluid, the area will be bandaged and you will have to wear a prescribed tight fitting hose for 72 hours.

During this time, your legs will look like someone beat you up. To remove the sclerosing solution that was injected, your doctor will advise you to walk. Until the next session which is due in the following month, you should not carry heavy items, exercise, sit, stand or squat for a long period of time.

If money is not an issue and there is nothing in your medical history that is preventing you from undergoing sclerotherapy, the only thing you have to do now is look for a doctor.

Just be sure that the specialist is a member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS). These people are members of a bigger organization namely the American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS) and the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.

But can spider veins be prevented? Yes it can as long as you wear a support hose regularly as this helps prevent unwanted blood vessels from developing. You should also exercise regularly and maintain your weight. Lastly, you must avoid exposing yourself too much from the sun as its harmful rays can also do damage.

But some people still experience spider veins despite the measures mentioned and if you want to get rid of it, you have no choice but to undergo spider vein treatment.

What Can You Expect From Spider Vein Treatment

What can you expect from spider vein treatment? Simply put, better looking legs because although your doctor will not be able to make those veins disappear, he or she will be able to conceal it by making these appear lighter in color thus making these unnoticeable.

But how does that happen? This begins after the doctor has done all the necessary tests before approving this procedure. You will then be scheduled to come at a certain time so he or she will be able to get to work.

The most popular spider vein treatment these days is sclerotherapy. It last between 15 to 45 minutes and is relatively painless.

Before the spider veins are injected with the sclerosing solution, it will first be cleaned with an antiseptic solution. The number of injections to be given to a patient varies depending on the number of affected veins. This could be from 5 to 40 per session and after each one is injected, it is covered with a cotton ball and compression tape to make sure it does not get infected.

This procedure does not require anesthesia. You will be awake the whole time and you can listen to music, read or just talk to your doctor while you are lying down on the bed. You might need to shift positions several times so just follow what your doctor says so this can be finished.

After treatment, you will need to wear a tight fitting hose that is prescribed by the doctor. This helps against blood clots and also promotes healing which has to be worn for 72 hours or longer. You will feel cramping during the first few days after the injection. You wont be given any pain killers because this is normal so you just have to bear with it.

You should also expect your veins to look worse than they are now before it gets better. Any improvements will only be seen after 2 or 3 sessions so you will have to go back for your next one apart about a month. Since your legs are still healing, you shouldnt sit, stand, squat, carry heavy items or exercise.

If there are no complications, you will be like a lot of patients who are happy with sclerotherapy. You will feel proud of how your legs look that you will go to the beach often and wear that two piece suit or put on a mini skirt should you go to a party.

One thing you should remember thought about sclerotherapy is that it does not prevent new veins from appearing. It can happen and it is up to you whether or not you want to undergo through the same procedure again.

Sclerotherapy is a form of spider vein treatment that is done by a plastic surgeon. If you are looking for one, you should seek specialist that is a member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS). These people are members of a bigger organization namely the American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS) and the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.

So do you want to improve how your legs look? If you do, ask a doctor to see if you qualify for this procedure. It is affordable and painless which are the two things that any patient would want to look better than before.

Spider Vein Treatments

Spider veins are more common to women than men and since they are more concerned about how their legs look, it is important to know what spider vein treatments are available.

The most popular one is scelotherapy. Here, the doctor will inject a solution to the veins which is designed to make the spider vein disappear within a few weeks or months. You have to go back for two to six sessions to make them go away and this is usually done in an outpatient setting. The best part about this treatment is that it is painless.

You also have radiofrequency occlusion. This is where a small catheter is inserted into the vein. Once inside, it delivers radiofrequency energy to the vein wall, causing it to heat, collapse, and seal shut. This is over in a matter of minutes which is why like sclerotherapy, it is done in an outpatient setting. You have the option to be given local anesthesia to offset the pain.

If the veins are too big and things are worse than before, your doctor will have to perform surgery. You will come in and then the doctor will remove the vein. This may be done with general, local or spinal anesthesia and if it is done in the morning, you can go home in the afternoon.

Laser treatment is another option. Here, the doctor will use heat energy to destroy abnormal veins. You just have to stay still so the target is destroyed without causing any collateral damage to the nearby tissues. You should expect your skins color to change or have blister formation.

But are these spider vein treatments really necessary? The answer is no because it is not life threatening. If you feel embarrassed about showing your legs in public, then you have to do it as long as you are able to pay for the cost.

How much you will be paying varies. It depends on the procedure, how many veins will be worked on, the professional fee of the doctor and where it is done. You can expect the cost of any of these treatments to be more expensive in a city like Los Angeles or New York compared to other places that also offer it.

When you are looking for a doctor make sure he or she is certified and a member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS) or the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.

To help pay for it, you can check with your insurance provider if they will be able to shoulder it but a lot of companies will disagree. You have to remember that this is merely a cosmetic problem and it is only when your doctor thinks that this is necessary that your request will be approved.

Before you can undergo any form of treatment, you will first be given a physical exam to see if there will be any complications. Women who are nursing or are pregnant are not allowed to do so and the same goes for those who have circulatory problems, suffering from diabetes or any heart condition.

Spider vein treatments are a god send especially for those who want to look good whenever they have to show some skin. If money is not an issue, you can try one of the options mentioned as long as you do not have any medical problems which you hinder the healing process.