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As Louisiana's first clinic dedicated to the diagnosis and treatment of venous disorders, the Vein Center encounters a wide variety of problems.
 Veins carry blood from the body's tissues back to the heart. In the legs, healthy veins are equipped with one-way valves that help the blood flow upward against the force of gravity. Varicose veins are the result of shallow veins which have incompetent valves --- valves that do not close properly thus allowing blood to pool in the legs and feet. This produces the network of swollen, bulging and frequently painful blue veins which we call varicose veins.
Diagnosing the exact origin of varicose veins is most important, for regardless how well the varicose veins are treated, if the source of the problem is not eliminated, the likelihood of recurrent problems is high. With a careful physical examination, and through the use of painless, non-invasive doppler ultrasound and duplex scanning, we can localize the source of the problem veins with great accuracy and tailor treatment appropriately.
Previously, physicians would indiscriminately "strip" the main shallow vein of the leg in most cases of varicose veins. While this vein is not generally needed by the body, it can be a very valuable "spare part" in that it is usually the vein used for bypass surgery. Careful and thorough evaluation now allows us to preserve this vessel when it is not the cause of the varicose veins.
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Spider veins (telangiectasia in medical jargon) are small, thin, unsightly veins that lie close to the surface of the skin and occur either in lines or clusters or sunburst patterns.
They are commonly referred to as "broken veins." Although they occasionally ache, burn or itch they are usually not symptomatic. They are connected to the main venous system but are not an essential part of it. In fact, they serve no useful purpose at all.
Spider veins are not a hazard to one's health and simply constitute cosmetic blemishes. The greatest problems that they pose are to the self-esteem and self-image of those who inherit them.
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Superficial thrombophlebitis is a common complication of varicose veins, but it can occur in otherwise normal veins. It consists of a blood clot associated with painful inflammation in a shallow vein. Although usually a relatively benign condition not requiring anticoagulation ("blood thinners"), a careful evaluation and proper treatment is important to rule out an associated clot in the major veins (Deep Vein Thrombosis) which can be life threatening. When this condition exists, there is a major risk that the clot can dislodge and travel to the heart and lungs--a pulmonary embolus. The fully equipped Non-Invasive Vascular Lab at the Vein Center is staffed by a Registered Vascular Technologist who is an expert in using the Color Duplex Ultrasound scanner to diagnose blood clots at all levels.
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One of the most common, and sometimes perplexing, problems encountered in medicine is the swollen leg. The causes are many and varied, ranging from circulatory causes such as varicose veins, venous insufficiency, deep vein thrombosis and lymphedema to musculoskeletal strains and sprains or a host of primary medical/cardiac/kidney problems. At the Vein Center a thorough physical examination and appropriate non-invasive testing can diagnose most causes and treatment can be started right away.
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Chronic Venous Insufficiency, frequently with ulceration, has plagued mankind forever. It has been estimated that in some areas of the  world as many as 5% of the population suffer from venous ulceration. It used to be thought that almost all cases were a result of abnormalities in the main deep veins. It is now known that in at least one-third of cases there is a major contribution to the problem
from the shallow veins, usually varicose veins. The importance of this is that varicose veins can be easily treated at the Vein Center resulting in improvement in this important group of patients. For those whose venous stasis is due primarily to deep vein abnormalities, many can be improved by a minimally invasive outpatient laparoscopic procedure known as Subfascial Endoscopic Perforator Surgery.
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- Rosacea
- Facial Spider Veins
- Excessive Blushing
- Angiomas
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The EpiLight system effectively removes unwanted hair from the face, bikini line and underarm areas quickly and with minimum discomfort - much less than the old fashioned waxing or depilatory techniques. This treatment usually requires about three treatments, a month or two apart, to destroy the hair follicles during their growth phase (not all hairs are growing at the same time).
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- Age spots
- Sun damage
- Red moles
- Unwanted hair
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