t is estimated that 80% of Americans have either varicose veins or spider veins as a result of venous reflux disease. Varicose veins develop when blood pools in a vein, causing it to enlarge and bulge.
Varicose veins are larger, closer to the surface and potentially more dangerous.
Spider veins are a variation, usually smaller and forming a branching or spider-web pattern.
Widmeyer Vein & Wellness Center in Lynchburg, VA, offers the most advanced treatments for both conditions, including laser treatment, ambulatory phlebectomy and other solutions.
Varicose veins are blue-tinted, bulging veins that appear near the surface of the skin. They can be found anywhere on the body but are most often found in the legs and ankles, since standing and walking increase pressure in these parts of the body.
In your circulatory system, your veins are designed with tiny one-way valves that should easily open (so blood can flow to the heart) and close (to keep blood from flowing backward). Varicose veins are when these valves don’t work properly, called “venous insufficiency.” When this happens, blood that is supposed to flow back up to the heart begins to pool in the vein. As a result, the veins may twist around and grow larger in order to accommodate the additional blood that gets pooled, which is why they look the way they do.
But appearance isn’t the only problem. Pooled blood continues to affect other valves, and the varicosity worsens. And this can lead to other, and potentially serious, health consequences.
At Widmeyer Vein Center, Dr. Widmeyer individualizes treatment for varicose veins to suit each unique person. He uses two primary techniques to resolve varicose veins: endovenous laser therapy (EVLT) and a minimally invasive outpatient procedure, ambulatory phlebectomy. Some patients can be treated with one or the other technique, while others may be best helped through a combination of both treatments. Dr. Widmeyer performs both procedures right in our Lynchburg, VA, office.
At Widmeyer Vein Center, Dr. Widmeyer has special expertise and experience treating varicose veins with EVLT. EVLT has been shown in clinical tests to be just as effective as those earlier forms of treatment… but with several important advantages. EVLT can be done in the office, and quickly. And recovery is typically fast and easy. Also, varicose veins treated with laser are unlikely to recur.
Dr. Widmeyer is highly experienced at EVLT, having successfully performed more than 5,000 procedures. EVLT works by changing the composition of the inside wall of a varicose vein, causing it to close down and, over time, become absorbed naturally into the body.
EVLT can be done quickly, in our office, and with very little downtime. It takes about a half-hour. Patients can leave immediately afterward, drive home and enjoy few or no activity restrictions.
Spider veins are a milder form of varicose vein, usually smaller and found closer to the surface of the skin. Spider veins can be blue, red or purple. About the size of a hair, spider veins may look like a sunburst, branches of a tree or a spider web. Spider veins most often appear on the legs but sometimes they can be found on the face. They can be small and almost unnoticeable, or your spider veins may cover a large area.
Spider veins result from abnormal blood flow, though the exact reason they develop is unknown. You can inherit a tendency toward spider veins. They can develop as the result of an injury or sun damage, and they may be related to hormonal changes, including pregnancy. Spider veins can also be related to age, a sedentary lifestyle and excess weight.
Spider veins aren’t dangerous but they can be unattractive, which is why most people want to have them removed. At Widmeyer Vein Center, Dr. Widmeyer uses sclerotherapy and topic laser treatments, often in combination, to provide you with excellent cosmetic results.
Sclerotherapy involves injecting a “sclerosing agent” into a vein. The sclerosing agent irritates the vein, causing it to form scar tissue and become less visible. Topical laser therapy is another option and, for patients with spider veins on the face, it is usually the preferred treatment.
Because each patient is different, individualized treatment to suit each unique person is best. There are two primary techniques to resolve varicose veins: endovenous laser therapy (EVLT) and a minimally invasive outpatient procedure, ambulatory phlebectomy. Some patients can be treated with one or the other technique, while others may be best helped through a combination of both treatments. Both treatments are outpatient procedures done in office by a physician board certified in vascular surgery.
What is EVLT? EVLT stands for EndoVenous Laser Therapy. EVLT works by sealing a varicose vein with heat from a laser, causing it to close down and, over time, become absorbed naturally into the body. EVLT is done quickly in the office. Recovery is typically fast and easy. Varicose veins treated with laser are unlikely to recur.
Sclerotherapy involves injecting a “sclerosing agent” into a vein. The sclerosing agent irritates the vein, causing it to shrink down and become less visible. Surface laser therapy is another option and, for patients with spider veins on the face, it is usually the preferred treatment.
Spider veins are a milder form of varicose vein, usually smaller and found closer to the surface of the skin. Spider veins can be blue, red or purple. About the size of a hair, spider veins may look like a sunburst, branches of a tree or a spider web. Spider veins most often appear on the legs but sometimes they can be found on the face. They can be small and almost unnoticeable, or your spider veins may cover a large area.
Spider veins result from abnormal blood flow, though the exact reason they develop is unknown. You can inherit a tendency toward spider veins. They can develop as the result of an injury or sun damage, and they may be related to hormonal changes, including pregnancy. Spider veins can also be related to age, a sedentary lifestyle and excess weight.
Spider veins aren’t dangerous but they can be painful as well as unattractive, which is why most people want to have them removed. At Widmeyer Vein & Wellness Center, Dr. Widmeyer uses sclerotherapy and surface laser treatments, often in combination, to provide you with excellent cosmetic results.
Sclerotherapy involves injecting a “sclerosing agent” into a vein. The sclerosing agent irritates the vein, causing it to shrink down and become less visible. Surface laser therapy is another option and, for patients with spider veins on the face, it is usually the preferred treatment.