|
Sclerotherapy Specialist in Santa Monica
If you are unhappy with the unsightly veins that have popped up on your feet, legs and thighs, the first step in finding a solution is to determine whether you have spider veins or varicose veins.
‘Sometimes patients have both medical varicose veins and cosmetic spider veins next to one-another,” admits Dr. Raffy Karamanoukian; a double board certified vein specialist in Santa Monica. ‘The treatment of cosmetic spider veins is quite different than the medical treatment of varicose veins,’ he adds.
Cosmetic spider veins can be treated quite easily, as long as you can identify the root problem of the thread-like veins. If there are associated varicose veins, you should treat those first as they are likely the root-cause of the spider veins.
Spider veins can be treated with sclerotherapy options, a straightforward therapy that uses injections to collapse abnormal spider veins for good. There are many different types of sclerotherapy options, so its best to seek the expertise of a board certified vein surgeon such as Dr. Raffy Karamanoukian.
SPOTLIGHT ON SCLEROTHERAPY FOR SPIDER VEINS:
METHODS: Lasers, sclerotherapy, foam sclerotherapy, saline injections. HOW LONG DO TREATMENTS TAKE TO PERFORM: About 30 minutes for one complete session. ANESTHESIA OPTIONS: Local anesthesia is not required. PAIN LEVEL: Hardly anyone likes injections. Dr. Karamanoukian uses the smallest needles for injection to minimize discomfort. Lasers are slightly less painful. RECOVERY: Slight bruising and mild swelling for about one week. INTERVAL BETWEEN TREATMENTS: Treatments can be spaced one to three weeks apart.
SCLEROTHERAPY Q & A:
Q: What causes spider veins? A: Spider veins are caused by superficial capillaries and veins that arise on the surface of the skin. They are sometimes related to skin trauma, but can occur as a result of genetics, family history, sitting or standing for long periods of time, and occupation. In many cases, spider veins are caused by a condition known as venous hypertension, in which there is mild congestion and within larger varicose veins in the legs and thighs. The congestion causes abnormal venous pressures leading to spider vein engorgement.
Q: What is sclerotherapy? A: Sclerotherapy has been around for decades. The sclerotherapy options offered by Santa Monica vein surgeon Dr. Raffy Karamanoukian are FDA approved and safe for the management of spider veins. Whether you have cosmetic issues or medical varicose veins, sclerotherapy can help. The technique involves the injection of a medicine into the abnormal vein, causing it to fibrose and collapse. Once the body begins to heal the vein the inside, the vein collapses down and disappears. Injections with Dr. Karamanoukian are well tolerated and patients hardly feel the small needles.
Q: Can I combine laser with sclerotherapy to get rid of spider veins? A: Our office has a full spectrum of spider vein lasers that can be combined with sclerotherapy to eliminate your spider veins. At the Santa Monica Vein Center, we also complement sclerotherapy treatments with endovenous laser and RF. EVLT and VNUS are common procedures performed for medical varicose veins.
Q: Am I a good candidate for sclerotherapy or spider vein treatments? A: Sclerotherapy has many advantages and is a very common procedure in our Santa Monica Vein Center. We would suggest a consultation with Dr. Raffy Karamanoukian to determine which spider vein protocol is best for you. Options include varicose vein treatments, spider vein injections, laser therapy, and combination Hidef Vein Treatments that include several of them combined. |
