Vein Treatment Options

Only your board-certified vein doctor can determine your needs, as problem veins are often below the surface of the skin and can often only using the latest ultrasound-guided technology.

Sclerotherapy
If your varicose veins are on the small side, or if your main issue is more about spider veins than varicose veins, sclerotherapy may very well be the best vein treatment option for you. During sclerotherapy, your vein doctor will inject the problem veins with an FDA-approved chemical solution. This special solution causes only the damaged, unsightly veins to collapse and eventually fade from view.

Sclerotherapy sometimes takes a few treatments spaced a few weeks apart to see the full results from the treatment. Other times, you can actually see the veins disappear in front of your eyes!

excel® V+ Laser

This state-of-the-art laser technology is primarily for smaller spider veins. While sclerotherapy treats spider veins via injecting a chemical solution, the excel V+ Laser system uses a proprietary heating + cooling laser procedure to quickly zap away problem veins on your legs and other parts of your body. In fact, it’s even gentle enough for the face! While Upper East Side Cardiology treats primarily legs, we’re happy to discuss treatment options for veins throughout areas of your face, neck, arms, back, and pelvis as well.

Endovenous Laser Ablation
Endovenous laser ablation—called EVLA for short—is often said to be one of the best options for treating varicose veins. Why? Endovenous laser ablation results in limited down time, very little pain, and incredible results.

During the treatment, an ultrasound-guided laser targets a tiny optic fiber the vein doctor inserts into your problem vein. Almost immediately, the laser heats the vein until it closes, and blood is rerouted through healthy veins while the problem vein is reabsorbed into your body.

EVLA is used to treat the greater saphenous vein, the small saphenous vein, and side branches of these veins, so it is a highly specialized treatment. Only specialists can determine if EVLA is the best treatment option for your specific varicose vein concerns. Endovenous laser ablation for varicose veins is minimally invasive and typically takes under 30 minutes to perform.

Radiofrequency Ablation
One of the popular treatment options for varicose veins is radiofrequency ablation. It works somewhat similarly to EVLA, but with one major difference: Instead of using a laser to eliminate the problem vein, it uses radio wave frequency.

For radiofrequency ablation, the patient is numbed using local anesthetic. During this 30-minute, minimally invasive procedure, a small fiber is inserted into the problem varicose vein. An ultrasound delivers a special radio wave that essentially collapses the problematic vein, allowing blood flow to be reassigned to healthy veins.

For patients who have radiofrequency ablation performed on their problem veins, recovery takes just a few hours—meaning you can get back to your daily life quickly and pain-free.

Varithena®
If your main issues are for veins below the knee, then Varithena treatment may be your best varicose vein option. While lasers and radio waves may be a bit intimidating to some, Varithena is a direct injectable foam that is FDA approved and extremely safe.

Because this varicose vein treatment involves a few simple injections—following a local, topical numbing to minimize discomfort—there is a very short recovery period. The injected foaming solution causes the problem vein to close and quickly get reabsorbed into the body, thereby rerouting blood flow along healthier vein pathways. 

Ambulatory Phlebectomy
Ambulatory phlebectomy—also called a stab phlebectomy, microphlebectomy, mini phlebectomy, or just plain phlebectomy—is for large, bulging veins that simply aren’t good candidates for sclerotherapy or ablation treatments. Phlebectomy is the only treatment that actually removes the problem vein from your body entirely (and it’s not as scary as it sounds).

To start, patients arrive at our office and are given local anesthetic to the area(s) of the legs needing treatment. Then, your vein doctor makes a few very tiny (2–3mm) incisions in your leg, lifting out the problem vein(s) with a small hook tool. The micro-incisions are so small that stitches aren’t needed, and you can even walk out of the office and drive home yourself!