Frequently Asked Questions

Why isn't surgery a good idea?
Am I a good candidate for varicose vein treatment?
Does vein disease affect men and women equally?
I don't have visible varicose veins, but my legs ache and swell and I have spider veins, can there be varicose veins inside my legs? Are all varicose veins visible from the outside?
Can I still get treatment if I'm pregnant?
Should I wait until I finish having children to get my diseased veins treated?
What happens during my physician consultation? Will I have to undergo any testing before treatment?
What is the difference between endovenous lasers and surface lasers?
How does the sclerosant work exactly?
What if I cannot walk, can I still get vein treatments?
I was told by my physician that I have severe peripheral arterial disease. Am I a good candidate for vein treatment?
How will my blood circulate if I treat my varicose veins?
Will I need to be hospitalized or take time off from work?
Will insurance cover my vein or hemorrhoid treatments?
Can I fly right after my treatments?

Q. Why isn't surgery a good idea?
The documented failure rates of surgery are 30 to 80% in one to five years. Removing a varicose vein surgically is not the same as removing an appendix (a one time procedure) because varicose veins are a chronic problem plagued with new growth in many places in the leg. Repeated surgery is not an acceptable solution for a recurrent problem. At Vein Institute of CT we reduce or eliminate the varicose veins a patient gets after vein surgery with a high degree of success using Non-Surgical treatments.

Q. Am I a good candidate for varicose vein treatment?
Varicose and spider veins can be treated for both clinical symptomatic reasons and cosmetic reasons. Aching legs, Leg cramps at night, leg swelling, Itching, burning, lower leg discoloration, blood clots, leg ulcers OR just many spider veins (especially at the ankles) are signs and symptoms of venous insufficiency (otherwise known as venous reflux). If you have the above problems. It is time to get help. Vein disease is chronic and progressive. The longer you wait, the worse it gets.

Q. Does vein disease affect women and men equally?
Women account for approximately 85-90% of varicose vein disease, mainly because of the unique additional risk factors for females, including hormone levels during pregnancy. Women are particularly afflicted with reticular veins. These light blue veins usually appear in a lattice framework, giving a marbled appearance to the skin. They are the harmless looking veins, but they are usually the most symptomatic of all. Reticular veins are the cause of the high rate of Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS) in women. When these veins are effectively treated, the discomfort and automatic movements diminish.

In men, the pathophysiology is similar, but instead of reticular veins, the culprits are multiple, small-branching varices and “high pressured small vein disease”. The varices, unfortunately, are often mistaken for “cosmetic” telangiectasia (spider veins). The difference is important because the treatment is different. The association between RLS and vein disease has been overlooked, most likely because of the innocent appearance of the reticular veins.

Q. I don't have visible varicose veins, but my legs ache and swell and I have spider veins, Can there be varicose veins inside my leg? Are all varicose veins visible from the outside?
Varicose veins don't always bulge on the surface of the skin. Many times they are hidden under the skin and can only be seen using Ultrasound technology. For this reason we take a very detailed history and determine if further diagnostic testing is necessary before we do any treatment. Hidden varicose veins are frequently the cause of our patients symptoms. In fact many times patients come to us because they have had their spider veins treated with few or unfavarable results. With our detailed diagnostic evaluation, we find hidden varicose veins that must be treated first.

Q. Can I still get treatment if I'm pregnant?
No, you need to wait approximately 6 month after childbirth before you start treatment. If you plan on breast feeding you infant, you need to wait until you are done with breast feeding.

Q. Should I wait until I finish having children to get my diseased veins treated?
The short answer to this question is No. Prolonging treatment is similar to telling someone with High Blood Pressure or Diabetes to wait for treating their chronic disease. Treatment of damaged veins can help make you future pregnancies more bearable and slow down the disease. We recommend treatment at its earliest stages.

Q. What happens during my physician consultation? Will I have to undergo any testing before treatment?
Each patient is unique. At Vein Institute of CT you will receive individualized treatment. That means, we will take a detailed medical history and then perform a detailed examination. Based on this information, we will determine if you will need a diagnostic Ultrasound examination of your legs to determine the extent of vein disease and to determine the correct treatment for your vein disease.

Q. What is the difference between endovenous lasers and surface lasers?
An endovenous laser is used to treat large veins beneath the surface of the skin. Surface lasers attempt to treat the lighter, more delicate spider veins that appear close to the surface of the skin mostly due to reticular veins. At times a surface laser is used in adjunct with sclerotherapy.

Q. How does Sclerotherapy work exactly?
A sclerosant is a medicine that is used to cause injury to the inner vein wall. This injury occurs in a controlled manner, depending on the volume and concentration of the medication used in each site. The medication is inactivated quickly by dilutional effect and interaction with structural components of the vein walls, making the effect localized. The initial injury to the vein wall results in a healing process which causes the vein to literally heal shut over time. This results in shrinkage of the vein wall, and eventually, complete obliteration of the target vein. The medicine is frequently turned into temporary “FOAM”. This process has been shown to significantly improve the treatment results, especially in larger sub-surface veins that could in the past only be treated with surgery. Now, using direct ultrasound guidance we can treat these veins without surgery and achieve more accurate and complete results.

Q. What if I cannot walk, can I still get vein treatment?
No. You must be able to walk and move freely in able to get vein treatments.

Q. I was told by my physician that I have severe peripheral arterial disease. Am I still a good candidate for vein treatments?
No. Severe peripheral arterial disease is an absolute contraindication to vein treatment.

Q. How will my blood circulate if I treat my varicose veins?
Varicose veins are diseased veins that no longer function properly. Once these diseased veins are treated, the blood will circulate in the remaining healthy veins. Treatment of varicose veins will improve your venous circulation.

Q. Will I need to be hospitalized or take time off from work?
We do not do any of our treatments in the hospital. All treatments are done in the comfort of our office. The majority of patients tolerate our vein treatment very well and able to return to work or their daily activities the same day. We strongly encourage daily walking following each of our vein treatments.

Q. Will insurance cover my treatments?
We are providers for Medicare and most insurance plans. Many times each plan is different for each individual. At the time of your physician consultation we will call your insurance company for you to find out the specific details of your plan. As a general rule most insurance companies, including Medicare, do cover medically necessary vein treatments. For those who do not have insurance we offer cash discounts and an 18 month interest free financing option. Our goal is to make vein treatments as accessible as possible for anyone who needs them.

Q. Can I fly right after my treatments?
No. It is recommended that you wait at least 72 hours before air travel after vein treatment.

Note: Spider veins are ALWAYS considered cosmetic by insurance companies and are not covered by insurance.