Sclerotherapy Spider Vein Treatment in Northeast Georgia
Over 18 Years’ Experience in Cosmetic Vein Treatment.
We use Foam Sclerotherapy to treat Feeders, and never use painful saline.
Over 100 Million Americans have Spider Veins which are never normal and can lead to discomfort.
Modern Foam and FDA-Approved Agents
Tiny 30 Gauge needles and painless, effective sclerosing agents make for a pleasant and effective treatment.
Better Technology. Better Results.
You can’t treat a vein that you can’t see. Accuvein laser visualization and Veinlite LED transillumination reveal all abnormal feeder veins.
Look Your Best for Spring in Just a Few Months
Monthly Treatments lead to gradual closure and healing. We always give you an estimate of your time expectations at your first visit.
Sclerotherapy Video Library
Produced by New Image
Medical Director Gregory Zengo, MD
Athens, Georgia’s Experienced Spider Vein Treatment MD
Sclerotherapy has been the gold standard treatment to permanently eliminate spider veins for over 50 years. Yet many providers do not incorporate all of the most modern science that makes sclerotherapy treatments safer, painless, and more effective than ever. Any provider who simply injects saline into every visible vein is not utilizing the proper technology available to him/her and is practicing a 1990’s version of Sclerotherapy.
About 20 years ago, we saw the first lasers for vein treatment advertised heavily. However those machines then… and now were never the best option for spider veins of the legs. Lasers are supposed to heat the blood to seal the vein, but every effective wavelength is also well absorbed by the skin, so each pulse was painful, like being burnt by a lit cigarette. And if you were undertreated, nothing would vanish except money from your wallet. Lasers never were, and never will be, the gold standard treatment for spider veins of the legs when sclerotherapy using modern FDA-approved agents like Sotradecol is cheaper, more effective, and less painful.
The emergence of 4 main technologies has made the diagnosis and treatment of spider veins safe and effective…
- Class I compression stockings are included free at your first treatment. Wear them for a week post-treatment every time for faster and better results.
- Foam Sclerosing Agents. Since the early 2000’s, mixing agents with air to create a foam has allowed us to treat higher pressure and wider feeder veins of large spider complexes safely and effectively in fewer treatments.
- Veinlite LED device. Previously, we could not easily identify the large feeders of the visible spider complexes. The Veinlite LED allows us to do this and to track the path of the foam through the vein for the best results.
- Accuvein Laser. Some spider complexes are simply hard to inject and follow. This device projects a green laser on the complex to identify the straightest, widest section for the easiest point of injection and the most efficient treatment.
Frequently Asked Questions about Sclerotherapy Spider Vein Treatment
How many treatments will I need?
This varies for our patients based on the following parameters…
What is the density of your spider veins?
What is the amount if identified feeder veins?
How much resolution do you desire? Our general goal is 70% resolution after a series of treatments.
Have you had treatment failures in the past, and if so with what modality or agent?
Based on this, at your free consultation, we will give you an estimate of how many monthly treatments you will need to get the results that you desire. You will never have to pay up front. Each treatment is paid as you receive them.
Is there a case when laser vein treatment is superior to Sclerotherapy?
Definitely not for spider veins of the legs. We have used lasers before and with our experience, they simply are more painful, slower, and less effective than true sclerotherapy with Veinlite and Accuvein diagnosis.
Lasers remain the gold standard for veins on the face since injections there can enter an artery causing side effects. We only inject veins of the legs in our practice.
What if I have skin-colored bulging veins?
These are called Varicose Veins and are often an indication of greater circulatory problem in the leg. If we just treat these with foam, without further evaluation, the larger feeder vein will just cause a new varicose vein to emerge nearby. If you have skin-colored bulging veins, we recommend you see a vascular surgeon and get a full duplex doppler ultrasound with superficial venous mapping prior to doing any cosmetic sclerotherapy.
Will I get new spider veins after completing a series of treatments?
Treated veins should not reappear after a successful series of treatments 4-6 weeks apart. However for many patients, spider veins are a recurring problem and treatment will not prevent new veins from emerging in other areas in the future. Therefore, to help reduce the formation of new veins, regular exercise including walking, jogging and bicycle riding has been found to promote healthy circulation and also slows the development of new varicose and spider veins. There are other things you can do to promote good leg vein health, including:
- Maintain ideal body weight
- Eat a high fiber diet to prevent constipation
- Explore natural alternatives, such as Massage Therapy and dietary supplements (vitamins C and E, for instance, may help relieve swelling and other symptoms of poor circulation)
- Avoid crossing your legs for extended periods of time
Although these measures are the best defense against the spread or development of new vein problems, we cannot alter the causes of your vein problems nor can we avoid heredity or aging. Therefore, as time passes, you may find that you need “touch-ups” for new veins that surface.
How many treatments are typically necessary?
The number of treatments needed varies greatly from patient to patient and depends on the severity of your condition. On average, at least 3-4 visits are usually required. Almost nobody will benefit from just a single vein treatment. On most occasions, veins are narrowed but not completely closed in the first treatment. The follow-up visits every 4-6 weeks will further close down the veins for good!
Once my spider veins are gone, where does the blood go?
Because there are many veins in the leg, after the affected veins are closed, the blood simply flows through other healthy veins after the procedure. Therefore, the loss of the diseased vein is not a problem for the body. In fact, Sclerotherapy is not only cosmetic “maintenance” but it also improves circulation, with many patients noticing an improvement in leg heaviness and discomfort because the dysfunctional veins are no longer hindering blood flow.