The key to good communication with your vein doctor is asking questions. That's why Center for Vein Restoration (CVR) physicians encourage patients to ask questions. Our vein doctors want patients to be informed about their vein disease, including how vein problems are diagnosed and treated and the outcomes one can expect from treatment.
By asking questions, your vein physician will better understand your specific concerns and recognize any gaps in your knowledge. Your CVR provider will make every effort to ensure that you have all the information that you need about varicose veins, venous ulcers, lymphedema, leg or ankle swelling, and other symptoms of vein disease.
According to Aditya Gupta, MD, RPVI, D-ABVLM, CVR Lead Physician, SW Austin, Texas and NW Austin, Texas:
"Physicians are trained to treat patients, not symptoms… Patients must understand the whole disease process to be partners in care. Without questions, the patient may not know what exactly is going on… It is reassuring (for the physician) to get questions so they know that the patient is (engaged) in care. Patient care is a two-way street."
– Dr. Aditya Gupta
Your CVR vein physician invites you to ask questions so you can be completely comfortable with your diagnosis and treatment plan and have realistic expectations about your outcomes. However, patients sometimes "go blank" while they are in front of the doctor and forget the questions they meant to ask.
Here is a list of sample questions to help you get the information you need and the typical answer you may receive:
At CVR, your evaluation begins with a thorough health history. Your provider will determine your risk for vein disease or other vascular issues by asking about your lifestyle, medical history, and current symptoms.
Your provider may recommend a non-invasive test to evaluate blood flow in your veins called a vascular ultrasound or Doppler ultrasound. This painless diagnostic procedure will determine the presence of venous reflux. This reversal of blood flow through the vein valves causes blood to pool in the legs. If left untreated, this can lead to pain, swelling, feelings of heaviness and fatigue in the legs, cramping, skin changes, varicose veins, and leg ulcers.
If it is determined that treatment is necessary to improve your health and comfort, your CVR doctor will thoroughly explain the recommended treatment plan personalized for you. This plan will detail each proposed treatment option, and all are performed as an outpatient at the CVR clinic location.
Our team of professionals will then spring into action—obtaining pre-authorizations, securing insurance coverage, and helping with financing options to manage expenses if necessary.
All treatment options offered at CVR are minimally invasive and performed using only local anesthetic so you can return to normal activity with few restrictions the same day.
Treatment options include:
The traditional vein stripping procedure you may have heard about through your parents and grandparents is not performed at CVR. It has been replaced with the minimally invasive and well-tolerated ambulatory phlebectomy procedure.
Because there are many safe, effective, minimally invasive alternative methods for eliminating varicose veins, vein stripping is rarely performed at a modern-day vein center.
The vein stripping method of yesteryear required general anesthesia and sometimes a hospital stay. Multiple incisions requiring stitches are made along the problem vein during vein stripping. The vein is removed using a thin wire called a "stripper." Recovery from this procedure is lengthy, requiring patients to be out of work for weeks. Risks from the anesthesia and heavy bleeding, and nerve damage make vein stripping a less than ideal method.
Preparation for your vein treatment is straight-forward, simple, and includes:
Because in-office vein treatment does not require general anesthesia, one thing that you do not need to do is arrange for a ride home. Patients can drive themselves home a resume normal activity, with few restrictions, immediately following the vein procedure.
Compression stockings are an essential tool for managing the symptoms of varicose veins by improving circulation. However, compression stockings alone do not eliminate varicose veins.
One of the oldest and most widely used methods for alleviating painful leg associated with vein disease, compression stockings may be recommended as a follow-up to vein procedures at CVR.
At CVR, patients are encouraged to walk immediately after the procedure. While some minor discomfort or bruising of the treated vein can be expected, this will resolve on its own and requires only over-the-counter pain relievers to alleviate discomfort. CVR physicians recommend that patients wait about a week to resume strenuous exercises such as running and weightlifting.
All varicose vein treatments at CVR are performed using a local anesthetic in a sterile office environment.
Using state-of-the-art technology, the providers at CVR vein specialists offer only procedures that leave little to no scarring.
Varicose veins develop when the tiny valves in leg veins weaken and lose their ability to keep blood flowing in one direction towards the heart. Risk factors for developing varicose veins include heredity, obesity, sedentary lifestyle, and standing or sitting for long periods.
Minimally invasive procedures are highly effective in closing these incompetent veins. However, new varicose veins can form in veins that have not been treated, especially if lifestyle risks remain. A treated vein can recanalize (open up again), leading to a recurrence of a varicose vein. However, risk of this is very low, with the efficacy of an ablation procedure being over 95 percent.
Your CVR physician can explain all your risk factors and your chances of developing new varicose veins after treatment.
Center for Vein Restoration is the nation's leader in diagnosing and treating venous insufficiency (vein disease). Our board-certified physicians see over 200,000 patients a year, more than any other vein clinic or hospital, and consistently achieve a 98 percent patient satisfaction rating. With over 100 clinic locations nationwide, the chances are that there is a CVR location near you.
Call 240-965-3915 or visit centerforvein.com for more information or to schedule an appointment. Major insurances are accepted, including Medicare and Medicaid.
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