Why do you perform a screening ultrasound before fixing my spider veins? They’re just spider veins.
This is one of the most common questions I receive from patients during their initial visit to our vein center. I understand. You can see the spider veins on the surface. That’s all there is, right? You simply inject them with a solution and they magically disappear. Yet some people who have had treatments before will tell you that’s not always the case. “They came right back” is what they tell me. That is a red flag. There is probably something else going on under the surface that may need to be treated first.
Many people seek treatment for their telangiectasia’s, or spider veins. However, what many people do not realize is that you can have underlying problems or refluxing blood flow in the vessels underneath those spider veins. Sometimes these incompetent veins can actually cause spider veins, and make them more difficult to treat with visual sclerotherapy alone. Treating merely the spider veins, while the underlying veins are incompetent, typically results in poor response to therapy with recurrence of the spider veins.
Whether you have spider veins or bulging varicose veins we will always perform a screening ultrasound at your first visit here at Tennessee Vein Center. This initial screening ultrasound is a key step in determining which direction therapy needs to take. Whether the bad veins can be treated with visual sclerotherapy or need ultrasound-guidance sclerotherapy injections.
By performing the screening ultrasound we are looking for venous reflux in veins below the surface. Whether you have abnormal veins on the surface and/or underlying venous reflux, our specialized medical team will tailor a treatment plan to fit your concerns. Schedule a free screening today and we will be happy to answer any questions you may have.
