Frequently Asked Questions

Leg pain, aching or cramping?

Burning or itching of the skin?

Leg or ankle swelling?

Heavy feeling in the legs?

Skin discoloration or texture changes?

Restless legs?

Open wounds or sores?

Previous treatment (i.e. laser treatments, sclerotherapy, vein stripping, compression stockings, or anti-inflammatory medications) that has provided little or no symptom relief?

Also, do you have any of these risk factors for vein disease?

Recent pregnancy?

Family history of vein disease?

Occupations that require prolonged periods of sitting or standing?

Obesity?

If you have ANY of these symptoms, you may have venous insufficiency. That’s why you should call Vein Institute at 203-426-5554 to schedule a consultation.

Spider vein patients resume all normal activities immediately with no downtime. The majority of patients treated for varicose veins walk out of the office and return to normal daily activities, including work, within two days. We do recommend, however, that patients of any procedure wear their compression stockings for 1-2 weeks post-procedure. While the amount of post treatment pain varies from one patient to another, most require only Tylenol or ibuprofen for any discomfort. Complete recovery, including resolution of bruising, takes from 4-6 weeks. Detailed written and verbal instructions will be provided to each patient both before and after treatment.

Home Instructions for RF

Home Instructions for AP

The number of treatments required to provide you with the results you want to achieve will be determined after your initial consultation session where a personalized treatment plan will be developed. Vein disease typically requires more than one treatment. For spider veins specifically, the average person requires 3-5 sessions spaced 4-6 weeks apart in order to get the best aesthetic results.

Yes! Men get vein disease, in fact, perhaps half of all men will have varicose veins.

Most men will try to ignore the symptoms as long as possible. They won’t go to a doctor for diagnosis and advice. They will wear long pants to picnics instead of dealing with the issue. We get it. That’s what men do.

But if you wait too long, treatable symptoms can become much worse problems, such as severe pain and open sores that you won’t be able to ignore.

In worst-case scenarios, surgically removing veins, or “vein stripping”, is sometimes recommended, but the method currently used is much different from many people’s idea of vein stripping. The ambulatory micro-incisional phlebectomy procedure is done under local anesthesia in our office. It is much less traumatic to the leg than traditional stripping and leaves minimal to no scarring. Patients walk out of the office, and most are able to resume work and their normal activities immediately.

Spider veins appear as red, blue or purple sunbursts on the skin surface, but most typically occur on the face, legs or ankles. It is a cosmetic concern, they are not a health risk alone, but can be symptomatic and cause itching, burning or aching. Spider veins can be found alone or in combination with varicose veins.

Any individual with symptoms of vein disease unsightly spider or varicose veins is a candidate, and both large and small veins can be treated effectively. Best results with spider veins are seen in fair skinned individuals. Tanning or prolonged sun exposure should be avoided both before and after treatment.

The reality is the same for all of us, however. Men and women generally have the same symptoms, even before you see bulging and discolored veins: pain, leg heaviness, tiredness, swelling and muscle cramps, and perhaps restless legs that keep you awake at night.

Ignoring the signs just means they will get worse. Call us at 203-426-5554 to make an appointment with one of our doctors and talk about your symptoms and how they can be treated.

Most patients experience little or no pain, and any discomfort lasts only a fraction of a second. Topical anesthesia or ice packs can be applied for pain sensitive patients. While the amount of post treatment pain varies from one patient to another, most require only Tylenol or ibuprofen for any discomfort.

That method alone results in a higher chance of varicose veins returning. We do not use injection sclerotherapy for very large veins. We will offer the best treatment for each individual’s vein problem, which can sometimes require office-based minor procedures to get the best long-term result. Each patient is evaluated individually, and typically a combination of procedures are scheduled.

An FDA-approved solution called Sotradecol® and/or Polidocanol is injected into the vein through a microneedle to induce an inflammatory reaction, which causes the vein to seal shut and gradually shrink away and disappear. Once the vein is sealed, blood is forced into healthier veins. Sotradecol® and Polidocanol give much better results and are far less painful than the traditional hypertonic saline injections.

There is no evidence that varicose veins can be prevented, but you may be able to minimize the severity of the condition or alleviate the symptoms through routine exercise, maintaining a good weight, avoiding prolonged periods of standing or sitting and using compression stockings.

Spider veins are considered cosmetic and, therefore, not covered by insurance. However, varicose veins are usually caused by a more significant problem in the leg, so your treatment is typically covered by most insurance companies. Please note, if your medical policy utilizes cost-sharing including deductible, coinsurance and copay, these costs may apply. If you are unsure, visit us for a vein screening and our staff will work with you and your insurance company to determine your coverage.

As the treatment of varicose veins has evolved over the years, new medical specialties have developed for a vein doctor to provide the most modern techniques and treatment to patients.

Three types of doctors treat varicose veins and other vein diseases: vein surgeons, phlebology-trained physicians, and vascular and interventional radiologists. All are doctors with training in different but related specialties.

A phlebologist and an interventional radiologist both treat varicose veins with the least-invasive procedures, such as endovenous laser treatment, sclerotherapy and radiofrequency ablation. These modern techniques are performed in a doctor’s office rather than a hospital and require much less recovery time.

Phlebologist – the Vein Doctor for Varicose Veins. A phlebologist is a physician who has gained specialty training in diseases and treatments of the veins. Most phlebologists concentrate on veins of the legs and associated diseases and the minimally invasive treatments described above.

An interventional radiologist is a doctor who practices another sub-specialty specializing in vein treatment. These practitioners invented angioplasty and the catheter-delivered stent for heart disease, and interventional radiologists have developed similar techniques to treat varicose veins.

A vein surgeon removes problem veins with surgery, which requires general anesthesia and a longer hospital recovery. Vein surgeons also place catheters and stents in arteries and veins, which is not related to the treatment of varicose veins.

What vein doctor is best for you? Both phlebologists and radiologists use ultrasound to see the vein being treated so they can guide a catheter to it for delivery of radio waves or lasers to destroy the vein, or in the case of sclerotherapy, to administer medical solutions that cause the vein to safely collapse.

These techniques are called minimally invasive because they do not require large incisions in the body, as surgical procedures do, or long recovery times. Many conditions that as late as the 1970s required surgery are now treated by phlebologists and interventional radiologists.