ALLURE MEDICAL - all•u Magazine all·u Magazine Spring 2017 | Page 7

VEIN
DISEASE
GOING AGAINST
THE FLOW:
AN EFFECTIVE & EASY SOLUTION TO VEIN DISEASE
DO YOUR legs feel good in the morning but
become increasingly swollen, heavy, and tired as
the day goes on? Your veins may be the culprit.
Venous (vein) inefficiency, also known as
vein disease, is a condition where the blood
does not flow through the veins as it should
which causes blood to pool in the legs. The
problem is easily treated with ultrasound-
guided vein ablation—a quick, painless office
procedure that is covered by most insurance.
THE ISSUE
DR. DREW GEORGESON
“Vein circulation in the leg is only supposed
to go one way—up the leg,” explains Dr.
Drew Georgeson, a board-certified general
surgeon with Allure Vein Center. “When
the little check valves in the vein don’t work
properly, blood leaks into the tissues and the
leg becomes swollen and heavy. But when
you recline, the fluid is not fighting against
gravity and the swelling goes down. That’s
why the legs feel fine in the morning.”
Left untreated, vein disease can lead to
increasing pain and unsightly ulcers that
can become weepy and infected.
DR. ELIZABETH PENSLER
“People know their legs bother them but
they don’t know why,” notes Dr. Elizabeth
Pensler, a double board-certified vascular
and general surgeon with Allure. “There
is not a good understanding of this in
the general medical community.”
Indeed, general practitioners sometimes overlook
vein disease or just recommend compression
stockings, which can work for a while but not
for the long term.
“The problem is easily treated with
ultrasound-guided vein ablation—a
quick, painless office procedure that is
covered by most insurance.”
“Compression stockings are hard to put on,
uncomfortable to wear and are just a Band-
Aid,” says Dr. Georgeson. “And the disease can
progress to where even stockings don’t help.”
A BETTER APPROACH
The physicians at Allure Vein Center recommend
an ultrasound-guided vein ablation, a simple
procedure that only takes ten to fifteen minutes.
A catheter is inserted into the leg (similar to an
IV), local anesthetic is injected (much like the
shot you get at the dentist), and heat generated
by laser or radio-frequency is used to close off
the vein. The blood then recirculates into the
thousands of other normal veins in the leg.
“This procedure is very well-tolerated,”
says Dr. Pensler. “The patient is able to
go right back to work or exercise.”
The benefits are long lasting. “Five-and ten-
year studies show the closure rate of these
veins is 96–98 percent,” says Dr. Georgeson.
In a follow-up visit, an ultrasound test
identifies if there are smaller vein branches
that also have backward flow. If so,
these are treated with sclerotherapy, an
injection that shuts the vein down.
COVERED BY INSURANCE
Treatment for venous inefficiency is covered by
most health insurance. If the condition is left
untreated, it can potentially lead to complications
like color changes in the skin, acute swelling,
ulcers, and pain so severe it can affect a person’s
ability to work and his or her overall quality of life.
“What is really satisfying from a provider
standpoint is that 90 percent or more of the time,
the symptoms go away and patients are so happy,”
says Dr. Georgeson. “The number-one response
is, ‘I should have done this a long time ago.’”
If you think you suffer from vein disease,
Allure offers free vein screening exams. Please
call 800-610-7386 for more information.
2017 SPRING
7