Treatments
Remaining on the cutting edge of new technologies and techniques, the Vein Center of Louisiana is dedicated to providing the most modern and up-to-date treatments of a wide variety of medical and cosmetic conditions.
- EndoVenous Laser Ablation/Cage for Varicose Veins
- Cool Touch Laser for Varicose Veins
- VNUS RadioFrequency Closure for Varicose Veins
- Ambulatory Phlebectomy for Varicose Veins
- Minimally Invasive Vein Stripping
- Sclerotherapy for Varicose Veins and Spider Veins
- Ultrasound Guided Sclerotherapy
- Traditional Sclerotherapy
- Foam Sclerotherapy
- Dornier Diode Laser for Reticular Varicosities and Spider Veins
- Endoscopic Perforator Surgery for Venous Insufficiency/Stasis Ulcers
- Nd-YAG Laser for Reticular Varicosities and Spider Veins
- "FotoFacial" Intense Pulsed Light for Facial Spider Veins, Rosacea, etc.
EndoVenous Laser Ablation/Cage
This revolutionary new treatment for large varicose veins was pioneered at Cornell University in New York. Originally performed in Spain, the EndoVenous Laser Ablation is performed in the office, takes less than an hour and accomplishes the same thing as a major surgical vein stripping. Using ultrasound guidance and local anesthesia, a thin laser fiber in a catheter is threaded up the vein. As the catheter is slowly withdrawn, the laser shrinks and seals the large vein that causes varicose veins in most patients. There is little or no visible scarring. In those patients who are candidates for the procedure, it is 97% successful. It is virtually painless and there is little "down time." Recovery involves resuming normal daily activities the next day and wearing a support stocking for about a week. Strenuous exercise may be resumed in two weeks.
Cool Touch Laser
The CoolTouch 1320 nm wavelength laser is our most recent acquisition and our current first choice for EndoVenous Laser Ablation procedures. The gentle manner in which this laser operates minimizes post-procedure discomfort while still offering 97% effectiveness.
VNUS RadioFrequency Closure
Similar to the EndoVenous Laser Ablation, a special catheter is passed up the major vein feeding the varicose veins. The vein is sealed shut using radiofrequency energy. Recovery following the procedure is the same as for the laser ablation.
Ambulatory Phlebectomy
This is another innovation first introduced in Louisiana by Dr. Ingram in 1992, and which remains the gold standard for cosmetic surgical removal of varicose veins. Commonly spoken of as the European microsurgery technique, the ambulatory phlebectomy procedure involves removing varicose veins surgically through incisions so small that sutures are not needed, post-op discomfort is minimal and scars are usually not even visible. The concept is quite simple and was developed by a Swiss dermatologist. Varicose veins can be likened to balloons: when they are inflated they are large, but when deflated they are quite thin walled and small. Have you ever noticed what happens to your veins when you lie down and elevate your legs? They empty and collapse, just like balloons. Thus, using a special technique and small instruments, large veins can be removed through tiny incisions. Dr. Ingram usually uses a hypodermic needle, rather than a scalpel, to make the little nicks in the skin.
Ambulatory phlebectomy, as the name suggests, is always an outpatient procedure which can be done in the office under local anesthesia if the extent of the condition is not too great. In severe cases patients are more comfortable asleep. Regardless, they are encouraged to walk a mile the next morning and resume normal activities except for strenuous exercise (like aerobics) for a week or two. A firm support stocking is worn during the day for about ten days.
Minimally Invasive Vein Stripping
In spite of all the technological advances in vein treatments there are still occasional cases in which the most appropriate treatment is surgical stripping. Fortunately, about ten years ago a brilliant Swiss vascular surgeon named Andreas Oesch developed the PIN stripper. This device allows large veins to be stripped through much smaller incisions and much less traumatically than conventional techniques. Dr. Ingram mastered this method shortly after it became available and used it routinely until the endovenous devices eliminated the need for most vein strippings. It remains among the Vein Center's many options for patients who need it.
Click here for common problems with Varicose Veins
Sclerotherapy
Sclerotherapy is the oldest treatment method of abnormal veins and remains one of the mainstays of eliminating spider veins and certain varicose veins. A tiny needle is used to inject a gentle solution into the involved vein, causing it to close down and be absorbed by the body. There is little discomfort with the procedure. Elastic compression hose are worn after each treatment. The duration depends upon the size of the vessels and may vary from two days to two weeks. Several treatments are usually required. There are three general types of sclerotherapy in current practice in modern phlebology:
1. Traditional Sclerotherapy
in which an appropriate concentration of an appropriate solution (there are several) is injected into the abnormal vein under direct vision, frequently using magnification.
Click here for common problems with Spider Veins
2. Ultrasound Guided Sclerotherapy
in which larger (and usually deeper) varicose veins or their feeding veins are injected using a duplex scanner to guide the needle.
Click here for common problems with Varicose Veins
3. Foam Sclerotherapy
in which the sclerosing solution is actually injected as a foam rather than as a liquid. This is the latest and most modern technique. It is more effective and requires fewer needle sticks than traditional methods. It can be used with both direct injection and ultrasound guided approaches.
Dornier Diode Laser
This cutting-edge technology is effective in treating thee two extremes of vein sizes, the very large varicose veins and the smallest spider veins. The 940 nm wavelength Diode Laser is a device used for EndoVenous Laser Ablation and is also effective in coagulating and destroying small spider veins directly through the skin. It is frequently used in conjunction with sclerotherapy for doubly effective treatments and quicker results.
Click here for common problems with Spider Veins
Click here for common problems with Varicose Veins
Endoscopic Perforator Surgery
Chronic Venous Insufficiency, a disabling swollen leg condition often associated with ankle ulceration, can now sometimes be greatly improved by a minimally invasive operation performed through a scope. The procedure is called Endoscopic Subfascial Perforator Surgery. It is performed on an outpatient basis through one or two small incisions in the upper calf.
Click here for common problems with Leg Swelling
Nd-YAG Laser
The Neodynium YAG Laser with a 1064 nm wavelength is proving to be extremely effective in the treatment of both reticular veins of the legs and large spider veins of the face, especially on the nose. Its longer wavelength penetrates deeper and is less absorbed by skin pigment than most other lasers. This makes it safer to use on darker skinned individuals.
"FotoFacial" Intense Pulsed Light
Intense Pulsed Light technology has emerged over the past few years as nothing short of revolutionary in the treatment of Rosacea. This non-laser application of short duration, momentary exposure of the skin to high intensity flashes of light shrinks and destroys the tiny dilated capillaries that cause the blushed appearance of this condition. Another beneficial effect is the removal of lentigines (age spots, sunspots) and other unwanted areas of unsightly pigmentation. There is also a skin smoothing and pore shrinking effect. The overall result of a series of about five monthly treatments is called PHOTOREJUVENATION.