Modern Treatments for Modern Legs Save
time , health + money
By : Lisa Howard
HEAL YOUR LEGS . “ We ’ re trying to reach out to people suffering from advanced vein disease who really have no other alternatives ,” says Dr . Drew Georgeson , a vascular surgeon who ’ s been treating vein disease at Allure ’ s Southgate since 2010 . “ These are patients with severe leg disease : open ulcers , chronic infections , significant pain .” In the past , he points out , the default treatment was surgical stripping , which entailed hospitalization , general anesthesia , a lot of post-operative discomfort and considerable downtime . Compared to today ’ s modern methods of healing problematic veins with laser and radiofrequency treatments , surgical stripping was much more expensive , too .
Thankfully , that procedure has fallen by the wayside . In its place , though , wound care treatment has become the norm for patients with chronic venous insufficiency , a condition that ’ s responsible for the majority of leg ulcers . When large , varicose veins get big enough , they split the skin , creating open wounds . Traditional medicine then sends the patient to a wound care center to address that wound . Because the underlying malfunctioning vein isn ’ t treated , however , about after two years of wound care , about 80 percent of patients find themselves back where they started : with an ulcer and in wound care . “ This is a tremendous strain on healthcare dollars ,” says Dr . Georgeson . “ As a country , we ’ re spending $ 16 billion a year on a very treatable disease .”
That unfortunate statistic is why Allure ’ s goal is to address the underlying cause of leg disease , in the process saving the healthcare industry $ 10 billion per year . Treating damaged veins with ablation procedures allows the surrounding veins to restore proper blood flow , preventing ulcers from forming in the first place . Healthy circulation also means that legs no longer swell , burn , itch , or feel heavy or tired . Promptly treating “ ugly legs ” also means that patients don ’ t risk winding up with a blood clot in the damaged vein , a potentially lifethreatening condition .
“ Ablation is shutting down the vein that isn ’ t working ,” Dr . Georgeson explains . “ Usually , patients still have good blood flow in the major veins of the leg — it ’ s the superficial veins just below the surface of the skin that cause significant symptoms in the leg when they ’ re not working properly . Ablation reroutes blood through the healthy veins .” Once the 15-minute procedure has been completed , patients are able to resume their daily activities , and within three or four weeks , their legs are feeling better than they ’ ve felt in years . And to answer the ever-looming question : yes , most insurance companies cover ablation procedures , including Medicare .
“ As a country , we ’ re spending $ 16 billion a year on a very treatable disease .”
Although the odds of having chronic venous insufficiency go up as we get older , Allure treats patients of all ages and backgrounds . People whose jobs require them to stand for long periods of time — manufacturing workers , teachers , hairdressers — are at greater risk , and Dr . Georgeson says that patients who come in with restless leg syndrome often have troublesome veins , too . Once they receive their ablation treatments , their symptoms subside . “ They ’ re back to sleeping in the same bed with their spouse ,” Dr . Georgeson says . “ It ’ s one of the fun side benefits of seeing the success of these treatments .”
Not only does the Allure staff provide the best possible care to patients to improve their daily lives , they ’ re also reducing the cost of healthcare . You could say that Allure is giving everybody a leg up .
Do you have symptoms of vein disease ? Take the quiz below to find out . Allure Medical can help .
Scan the QR code or visit : allu . md / veinquiz
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