Varicose & spider veins
EVLT, VARITHENA, SCLEREOTHERAPY, RF ABLATION & MORE
Vein Treatments
Issues with leg veins are common concerns (about 30 million of us suffer from it, just in the US.) Vein issues can range from an aesthetic issue that causes a superficial annoyance to painful conditions that can interfere with the quality of our lives. We are partnered with OMNY Vein & Cardiovascular in New York and the tri-state area to offer you the best-in-class care when it comes to addressing vein issues. All our procedures are performed on site, in our office by trained MDs. For cosmetic treatments including facial veins, you will be treated through Silhouette MD Aesthetics & Wellness and Dr. Sartawi.
We have state-of-the-art treatments for spider veins and varicose veins that are performed in our offices. Sometimes, vein issues can indicate a more serious health concern. For those more serious issues, we can have one of our in-office vein specialists and physicians explain any diagnosis and discuss treatment options.
OMNY Vein & Cardiovascular ensures the highest standards in excellence testing, and they have been granted the prestigious accreditation by the Intersocietal Accreditation Commission (IAC) as an emblem of established and continued principles. You can read more about them here.
Spider Veins
Sclerotherapy is the most common way to treat those ‘spider veins’ that can creep up over time, and for larger, web like veins called reticular veins. The procedure includes injecting a special solution directly into the small spiders veins, which causes the spider veins to eventually close up. The closed spider vein scars and eventually disappears. This spider vein treatment is relatively painless and has few serious side effects.
Both varicose and spider veins can be successfully treated through sclerotherapy.
The official name for spider veins is telangiectasia, and for veins up to 0.3 mm, we can treat them successfully with a low pain procedure, VeinGogh®.
The VeinGogh™ procedure can be used in conjunction with sclerotherapy, which is best for treating larger veins.
Learn more in our FAQs below.
Varicose Veins
In order to understand how we treat our varicose veins, it helps to understand how our veins work. In the most basic terms: veins typically keep the blood flowing in the right direction. However, as our bodies evolve because of weight changes, and the natural process of aging, the valves that keep the blood flowing in the right direction might not work as well. The result is that some blood can stay in the vein instead of moving forward like it used to move. This makes the vein swell, and that swollen vein is a varicose vein.
Varicose veins often show up on the legs, ankles, and feet because those body parts are farthest from the heart. Gravity pulls blood down into your legs and feet when you’re standing up or sitting down, and those veins have to work extra hard to get that blood back up to the heart.
Varicose veins look twisted and purple or blue, and they’re raised, which means they look like they’re sitting on top of the skin. They can be tender and painful, especially after sitting or standing still for a long time. People who have varicose veins might also have achy legs that feel heavy.
In the quest to eliminate varicose veins, one of the most effective therapies we can offer is EVLT or endovenous laser treatment, a quick, minimally invasive laser treatment that requires 0 hospitalization or complicated surgery. EVLT for the elimination of varicose veins has become the gold standard in varicose vein treatment by using laser energy, which is simply a highly concentrated beam of light.
In the hands of a skilled physician, lasers offer far less risk of complications for the treatment of varicose veins than conventional surgeries. With OMNY Vein & Cardiovascular as our partner (in fact, we share our Manhattan location with their office!), you will be paired with just that– a skilled and trained specialist and physician to help treat any issues with varicose veins.
Some of the benefits of EVLT include:
- Lower recurrence of varicose veins
- Reduced rate of complications
- Less pain
- Low to no recovery period
- Minimal or no scarring
Another minimally invasive treatment we offer is radio frequency ablation (RFA) to treat the large superficial veins. Although similar to EVLT in many ways, RFA can sometimes be more effective in treating larger veins. Patients typically find ablation relatively painless. Both methods have a very high rate of success in closing the vein.
For the quickest procedure from start to finish, we also offer Varithena®, a process that takes about 20 minutes from start to finish. The Varithena® solution is injected into the butterfly needle which then travels throughout the diseased vein, causing it to close. This works great, especially from a cosmetic perspective, and comes with little to no downtime.
Treatable Areas
Depending on the size and condition you are experiencing with the of the damaged veins, we will help find the right treatment for you, whether is sclerotherapy, EVLT, RFA, Varithena or VeinGogh®
- Thighs
- Calves
- Ankles & feet
- Face (e.g. sides of the nose)
pricing
Call us for pricing. Although cosmetic procedures are rarely covered, we can connect you to our in-office partners to discuss your options for different conditions that go beyond cosmetics.
In conjunction with OMNY Vein & Cardiovascular, we offer VIP packages, including concierge services complete with pickup and dropoffs.
Contact us for more information at (212) 721-8200.
FAQs
How does VeinGogh® work?
Dr. Sartawi will use a special tool to insert a thin fiber into the affected vein. The tool is attached to a machine that produces “micro-bursts” of energy that is delivered through the fiber into the spider vein. That energy heats the vein and makes it collapse. The body eventually absorbs the vein, and the blood is rerouted through a healthy vein.
The VeinGogh™ procedure can take anywhere from a few minutes to half an hour depending on the size of the treatment area. Some patients need more than one treatment to get the desired results.
The patient may feel a “pinch” when the doctor inserts the fiber into the vein. Some patients have compared the sensation to that of having a hair pulled. The doctor may use an icepack before and during the procedure to keep the patient’s skin cool.
What's the difference between EVLT and RFA?
Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) and endovenous laser therapy (EVLT) techniques are similar in that they are minimally invasive procedures that treat venous insufficiency of the large superficial veins –the greater and lesser saphenous veins specifically. Unlike older techniques, both laser ablation and radiofrequency ablation involve minimal recovery time.
Both methods have a very high rate of success (closure of the vein). Both are superior to conventional methods of vein stripping.
Vein ablation procedures are typically performed in the office rather than in an operating room. Both the laser and radiofrequency ablation procedures use thermal energy to close the blood vessel from the inside so that the re-fluxing or failing vein are no longer functional. The body eventually absorbs the closed vein and the absence of the failing vein reduces patient symptoms by decreasing venous pressure in the leg.
The differences between these two procedures are minimal. However, in some circumstances, one may be more optimal over another. Large diameter veins or when there are clots or vein webs sometimes respond better with with certain treatments.
Contact us to help find the best treatment for you.
Does cosmetic sclerotherapy hurt? How long before I see results?
The good news: no sedation or local anesthesia is required. A very small needle is used to inject the medicine, which is only minimally uncomfortable. It can take up to 7 days for the veins to disappear. Compression stocking are recommended for a few weeks following the injection session. Patients can return to daily activities as tolerated, but vigorous exercise should be avoided for 2-3 days. Sun exposure should be avoided for the first few weeks as skin discoloration may result.