Can You Get Spider Vein Treatment
Friday, January 29th, 2010Can you get spider vein treatment? That is one question that only your doctor can answer after conducting a thorough physical examination and reviewing your medical history.
The patients medical history is important because spider vein could be caused by age, heredity, medication or pregnancy. If you think that only females get it, men also do but it is rare for men to undergo treatment so this can be removed.
If you are considering spider vein treatment, you have to be physically fit because people who have circulatory problems, diabetes, heart condition or a blood born disease like hepatitis or AIDS cant undergo this procedure.
One issue that prevents some from undergoing spider vein treatment is the cost. It may be as low as $150 per leg but this could be much higher depending on how many veins have to be treated, how large are the veins, the experience of the doctor and where this will be done.
If you cant afford it, you may want to check if your insurance will be able to cover it. The bad news is that it is rarely covered by your provider because spider veins are considered to be a cosmetic problem, nothing else. If you are lucky, you will be required to present photographs or laboratory studies before your request is approved.
The procedure used by most doctors today is called sclerotherapy. Here, the doctor will inject needles into the affected veins. Studies have shown that the patients condition will improve by 50 to 90 percent but this takes months. The end result is that the spider veins will disappear but this does not prevent new ones from appearing later on.
Patients who choose to undergo sclerotherapy will be on an operating table for about 15 to 45 minutes. Again, this depends on how many veins need to be treated. Anesthesia is not used all throughout and you are awake the whole time. Since the needles are so thin, the only thing you will feel is a prick.
Once you have been injected with the fluid, the area will be bandaged and you will have to wear a prescribed tight fitting hose for 72 hours.
During this time, your legs will look like someone beat you up. To remove the sclerosing solution that was injected, your doctor will advise you to walk. Until the next session which is due in the following month, you should not carry heavy items, exercise, sit, stand or squat for a long period of time.
If money is not an issue and there is nothing in your medical history that is preventing you from undergoing sclerotherapy, the only thing you have to do now is look for a doctor.
Just be sure that the specialist is a member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS). These people are members of a bigger organization namely the American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS) and the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.
But can spider veins be prevented? Yes it can as long as you wear a support hose regularly as this helps prevent unwanted blood vessels from developing. You should also exercise regularly and maintain your weight. Lastly, you must avoid exposing yourself too much from the sun as its harmful rays can also do damage.
But some people still experience spider veins despite the measures mentioned and if you want to get rid of it, you have no choice but to undergo spider vein treatment.
