The idea is the same, you use heat to blast away the varicose veins.
The twist here is a golden tip, which means less risk and side effects for patients.
Blueprints here, fabric there, and lots of movement in-between. The job took a real toll on interior designer Christie Cooper. Cooper had varicose veins.
"Legs just feel like they get tired and heavy and you just wanna sit down and put them up," Cooper said.
It turns out her varicose veins were making daily life impossible.
"Well, they had progressively gotten bigger and bigger throughout the years, so it was really time to start thinking about taking them out.," Cooper said.
Dr. Alan Wladis from the Vascular Institute of Central Florida had the answer. A new gold-tipped laser fiber eradicates the vein with little risk or pain for patients.
"It's the misery of going through the day with 10 pound weights on their legs is what people complain about," Wladis said.
You can see the heated tip route up the leg with ultrasound guidance as it burns out the vein. But while the older, bare fiber tip cuts the vein, the gold tip coagulates it. The new method also offers less concentrated heat, which means less risk of puncturing the vein and less pain. Overall, it's 98 percent effective.
"They're up walking out of your office and they're back to their normal work in a day , four days at the most," Wladis said.
Cooper is now back to moving and working like her old self. "Been a really good thing and much more comfortable at the end of the day," she said.
Early studies on this new technology show it also results in less bruising for patients.
It is outpatient and takes about an hour.
The really good news is that it is often covered by insurance.
BACKGROUND: Swollen veins that bulge above the surface of the skin in a twisted fashion and are usually a dark blue or purple color are known as varicose veins. The swelling is the results of faulty valves in the veins that allow blood to flow to the heart; the valves stop working, and blood accumulates, stretching and widening the veins. Varicose veins usually develop on the back of the calves or thighs of women, but men are also susceptible. Heredity, age, weight and hormonal changes are common examples of why an individual might develop varicose veins. Some individuals may experience aching, burning, heaviness, tiredness, cramps and itching in the legs, and in others, there may not be any pain at all. (SOURCE: www.nlm.nih.gov).
THE GOLDEN CURE:
One of the newest ways of getting rid of varicose veins is through the use of a laser beaming fiber with a golden tip. The tiny fiber is inserted into the problematic vein, and the golden tip works in two ways: It acts as a buffer between the fiber and the vein to reduce any chance of perforation, and it increases the tips visibility under the ultrasound. The entire laser is covered with a thin layer of glass tubing to ensure less concentrated heat, and a minimal chance of cutting the vein. The laser burns the vein, causing it to collapse, and the unsightly appearance to vanish. Clinical trials have shown that this type of laser reduces pain and bruising on patients. (SOURCE: www.healthnews.org).
TREATING VARICOSE VEINS:
Surgical treatment for varicose veins is less invasive and generally done on an outpatient basis. If you can't make it to see the doctor any time soon, some helpful suggestions for increasing blood circulation and decreasing the pain caused by varicose veins are:
Exercise by walking more
Take several short breaks to elevate your legs throughout the day
Avoid wearing heels, and tight clothing or undergarments
Watch your weight and your diet
Avoid long periods of sitting and standing
Do not sit with your legs crossed.
(SOURCE: www.mayoclinic.com)
* For More Information, Contact:
Chris Gale
Vascular Institute Of Central Florida
cgale@evegroup.com
