WHAT CAN I EXPECT DURING MY INITIAL VEIN CONSULTATION?
Your consultation will involve taking a history, physical examination and a venous duplex ultrasound of the legs performed by an ARDMS certified Registered Vascular Technologist (RVT). Following your diagnosis, your physician will recommend either a conservative treatment (compression, elevation, exercise) or a corrective procedure (sclerotherapy, phlebectomy, venous ablation).
CONSERVATIVE THERAPY FOR VENOUS DISEASE
Conservative Vein Therapy refers to services that do not require surgery or a procedure to treat problematic veins. These options may help control symptoms of varicose veins but will not eliminate the underlying cause. Many insurance companies’ criteria require patients to try these options first, prior to authorizing a minimally invasive procedure.
ULTRASOUND
Ultrasound is a non-invasive and effective technique that uses sound waves instead of radiation to capture images of veins and arteries. The Minneapolis Vein Center uses ultrasound imaging to help diagnose and determine the plan of treatment for our patients. All of our ultrasounds are performed by an ARDMS certified Registered Vascular Technologist (RVT).
VENOUS ABLATION
Venous ablation is a minimally invasive treatment performed at the Minneapolis Vein Center for superficial venous reflux. Using state of the art technology, venous ablation provides an alternative to traditional vein stripping surgery. During this outpatient procedure, your leg will be evaluated using ultrasound and the affected vein localized. You will receive local anesthesia to […]
VENASEAL™
VenaSeal™ is the most recent technology approved to treat varicose veins and venous insufficiency. It uses a medical adhesive delivered to the vein that closes it. There is less patient discomfort since the procedure does not require local anesthesia, unlike the venous ablation procedure. No exercise restrictions after the procedure and no compression stockings. This […]
SCLEROTHERAPY
Sclerotherapy is a treatment for spider veins; it involves using a fine needle to inject a solution directly into the problematic veins. The solution starts a process that leads to the vein turning to scar tissue and fading from view. Blood circulation continues through other healthy veins. Larger veins are treated first. Some veins may […]
ULTRASOUND GUIDED SCLEROTHERAPY
Ultrasound-guided sclerotherapy is an effective and safe procedure that removes diseased veins that may have formerly required surgical removal. Physicians use ultrasound to guide them when injecting a problematic vein deep under the surface of the skin. Ultrasound is sometimes necessary to locate such hidden veins, which can then be treated with a fine needle. […]
PHLEBECTOMY
Phlebectomy is a minimally invasive surgical technique to remove abnormal medium to large veins. Your leg will be evaluated using ultrasound and the veins will be marked using a skin marker. You will receive local anesthesia at the incision site to numb the entire area. Using a special set of tools, the physician makes tiny […]
PAIN MANAGEMENT
At the Minneapolis Vein Center, our radiologists also specialize in epidural steroid injections (ESI). An ESI is a non-surgical treatment performed along the neck or back (cervical, thoracic or lumbar levels) to help reduce inflammation and irritation of exiting nerve roots. While the effects of an injection tend to be temporary, providing relief from pain […]
TREATMENT & EVALUATION OF VENOUS LEG ULCERS
Approximately 70 percent of all leg ulcers are venous ulcers. A leg with venous problems has a very characteristic appearance. The leg is swollen and the skin around a venous ulcer is dry, itchy and sometimes brownish in color—eczema may appear (varicose eczema). The ulcer has a weeping, raw appearance and is usually painless unless […]
CONSULTATIONS
Your consultation will involve taking a history, physical examination, and an ultrasound. Following your diagnosis, your physician will recommend either a conservative treatment (compression, elevation, exercise), or a corrective procedure (sclerotherapy, phlebectomy, venous ablation or surgery).
COSMETIC LASER THERAPY
Medical lasers provide safe and effective non-surgical treatment of spider veins on the legs and face. The Excel V+ laser delivers pulses of light energy to the unwanted vein, which causes the blood within the treated vein to coagulate. Once the treated veins are closed, the body will absorb them over time.
