Spider veins… Those small, thin red, blue and/or purple veins that can appear like little branches all over on the surface of the skin. They are seen most often on the legs, but also occasionally show up on the hands, face and chest. Spider veins, although not usually painful or too harmful, are not aesthetically appealing and often can be the cause of self consciousness, embarrassment and frustration.
What are Spider Veins?
Spider veins get their name because the veins are shaped like spider webs in the way that they branch out all over the skins. Occasionally, these veins will start to bulge and spread over a larger surface of the skin. At this point, they become increasingly noticeable and the frustration of having to look at them becomes something you cannot ignore. Spider veins do not typically start out as too uncomfortable or painful, but the mere fact that you have them does imply that you are dealing with poor circulation. If not addressed, those spider veins could eventually lead to varicose veins, which are larger and much deeper within the layers of skin. Varicose veins can cause discomfort and symptoms such as pain, itching, swelling, bleeding, achiness, feelings of heaviness, and an overall unhappiness in appearance of the skin.
Many of the patients we see at Fox Vein & Laser Experts walk through our doors in search of an end-all-be-all solution to their spider vein condition so they don’t have to worry about them potentially turning into varicose veins at some point in the future. Lucky for them, they have come to the right vein center in South Florida. Dr. Susan B. Fox is a highly skilled vein specialist, an expert in vein and vascular diagnosis and treatment.
Vein Cauterization at Fox Vein & Laser Experts
Fox Vein & Laser Experts offers many different types of vein treatments. Dr. Susan Fox and her expert team choose which method will work best based on each individual patient’s health and current condition.
One of the treatments we are often asked about is cauterization. This term broadly refers to a procedure that involves a medically trained professional using some kind of electrical or chemical solution to burn skin tissue to close a wound. Cauterizing is used in certain situations, such as helping control blood loss, removing potentially infectious skin tissue, removing lesions or tumors, and managing certain kinds of eye diseases.
In the case of vein cauterization, it means that the vein doctor is using radiofrequency or laser energy to burn and then close an abnormally large vein. The burning of the vein essentially causes it to collapse and close off, and blood flow is then redirected to healthy veins. Because cauterization works better when targeted at a larger vein, we typically use this procedure for varicose vein conditions more so than smaller, spider veins.
The term used to describe this type of vein procedure is called “Ablation.” Endovenous Laser Ablation has a 98-100% success rate when it comes to treating vein issues. Here’s how it works: the vein doctor in Miami makes a tiny incision at the site of the affected vein and inserts a very thin laser fiber through the opening. This “wound” is so small that it typically does not leave a scar and doesn’t even require stitches. Then, there are small pulses of laser energy delivered as the fiber gets pulled through the vein and heats it. That heat causes the vein to shut down and seal shut. Blood is redirected to healthy veins, and the affected veins begin to shrink and eventually go away altogether. It’s a quick and easy procedure, finished in less than a half hour, and there is no downtime needed.