Download Treatments - Penn State Hershey

Leg Vein
Spider Veins
Treatments
Spider veins are red or, when larger, blue veins which often occur in
clusters and can spread out like the branches of a tree. Each individual
vein can be extremely thin, as thin as a sheet of paper, but usually no
thicker than a grain of rice. They are extremely common in men and
women.
Varicose Veins
Penn State Hershey Dermatology
500 University Drive
University Physician Center, Suite 100
Hershey, PA 17033
Varicose veins are at least 5 mm wide (1/5 inch, or slightly less than the
width of a #2 pencil) but can be much larger. They tend to bulge from
the skin and can form a twisted mass of veins traveling along the leg.
Varicose veins afflict one out of two Americans over the age of fifty and
20-30 percent of all adults. Symptoms are common and include, pain,
heaviness, tightness, cramps, swelling, and skin rashes. Ulcerations, blood
clots, and bleeding are potential serious complications.
Phone: 717-531-1555
Fax: 717-531-0220
PennStateHershey.org/dermatology
U.Ed. MED 5499-12 DER
Leg Vein Treatments
Penn State Hershey Dermatology offers patients a
comprehensive leg vein clinic. We treat all forms of
superficial vein disease, ranging from a few scattered
spider veins to extensive, large, and painful varicose
veins. Spider veins refer to small, red or blue dilated
blood vessels that tend to occur in clusters. While
occasionally painful, they are primarily a cosmetic
concern.
Varicose veins are large, swollen, and twisted veins that
are often raised above the skin and may bulge. Varicose
veins can be unsightly, but also can be a major source of
discomfort, pain, and swelling. Patients with significant
vein disease can eventually develop blood clots or
ulcerations.
Spider Veins
For spider veins, sclerotherapy is the preferred method
of treatment. It is very effective and safe with minimal
discomfort. It involves the injection of a solution, called
a sclerosant, into the small vessels using an ultra fine
needle. The solution irritates the lining of the vessel,
causing it to stick together. Over a few weeks, the
vessel fades from view, eventually becoming barely or
not at all visible. Most patients enjoy 50 to 70 percent
improvement with each treatment session. The average
patient undergoes two or three treatments before
achieving his or her therapeutic goals. Potential side
effects include temporary staining (hyperpigmentation)
and tiny blood clots in the treated veins. Rarely,
ulcerations can occur at the injection sites.
Varicose Veins and
Venous Insufficiency
Leg Vein Treatment
Patients with varicose veins or significant symptoms
suggestive of dysfunctional leg veins—such as achiness,
heaviness, cramping, swelling, or staining of the legs—
receive a complete evaluation to identify the presence
and extent of their underlying vein disease. This
testing is done both at the Penn State Hershey Vascular
Laboratory and also confirmed during a clinical
consultation at Penn State Hershey Dermatology.
Healthy leg veins carry blood in only one direction,
toward the heart. Tiny valves along the length of
the veins prevent blood from flowing in the wrong
direction. When these valves fail, blood flows in both
directions, a condition known as venous reflux or
venous insufficiency. This backflow of blood increases
the pressure in the vein contributing to the formation of
varicose veins.
A patient’s leg veins are marked in preparation for a sclerotherapy
session. Standing accentuates the veins.
Most patients with varicose veins have refluxing veins
that can be sealed off using a minimally invasive
procedure called endovenous laser ablation. The blood
traveling in the sealed off, or ablated, veins is then
naturally re-routed by the body to other healthy veins
in the legs. This technique is safe, extremely effective,
and can be done in an outpatient setting under local
anesthesia or with moderate sedation according to
patient preference.
Individual varicose veins that are either too small or too
twisted to accommodate a laser fiber are also removed
under local anesthesia using a technique developed by
dermatologists called ambulatory microphlebectomy.
This involves a series of tiny stab incisions along the
course of the varicose vein. The vein is then carefully
teased out of the skin in segments until it is completely
removed. These procedures are generally well-tolerated.
Patients are walking immediately postoperatively
and a return to work is possible in one or two days.
Compression stockings must be worn for two weeks
after the procedure.
In most cases, the treatment of symptomatic varicose
veins is covered by insurance.
A foam detergent is being injected into a dilated leg vein with a tiny,
ultra fine needle. In a sclerotherapy session, a solution or foam is
carefully injected into each unwanted vein, inducing shrinkage and
eventual elimination of the treated vein.
To schedule an appointment
call 717-531-1555.