The Future of Vascular Disease Treatments

While more and more people are familiar with arteriosclerosis, commonly known as hardening of the arteries, it’s a sad fact that not nearly as many people are familiar with other vein-related conditions, such as venous disease and venous insufficiency. Central Florida Vein & Vascular Center, which is home to the top vascular physician in Orlando, Dr. Horowitz, wants people to understand venous disorders, their symptoms, and their consequences.

Here are just a few fast facts about venous insufficiency:

• Roughly 40 percent of women over the age of 40 suffer from some type of venous dysfunction. Men are less likely to develop a venous condition but still are at risk, especially as they age. With both sexes, the frequency of occurrence increases with age.
• Think young people are immune? Think again. Even individuals in their 30s and younger can suffer from venous insufficiency and its complications. What’s more, statistics say that up to 20 percent of adults of all ages may have some form of venous insufficiency.
• Redness, itching, swelling, and pain in the leg may be the most common symptoms, but other symptoms can include bleeding and sores, or worse.
• If you think you’re in the clear because you don’t have any symptoms, you could be playing a dangerous game. Venous insufficiency often can be asymptomatic, but that doesn’t mean treatment is not needed. Symptoms actually can be the silver lining of a venous insufficiency diagnosis in that they sometimes cause a patient to seek treatment for a serious condition that would have worsened if left be.

The great news for the future of vascular disease treatments is that innovation is thriving in the science of vein treatment. These newer treatment modalities are minimally invasive and, therefore, allow patients to recover much more quickly, with minimal downtime. Also, these new treatments have better than ever success rates.

Ultrasound-guided foam sclerotherapy is one such minimally invasive vein therapy. Under local anesthesia and using an ultrasound machine to locate the exactly precise spot, a vein specialist injects a chemical foam mixture into the varicose vein, causing it to collapse. The body then absorbs the collapsed vein over time. Because this is a needle-based technology, there’s no scarring or trauma. Varicose veins typically resolve successfully within two or three treatments, and the long-term cosmetic results are overwhelmingly favorable.

Endovenous laser treatment (EVLT) is another minimally invasive vein therapy. Again, using ultrasound visualization, a vascular expert uses a needle to insert a small tube into the varicose vein. But instead of injecting a scleroserant foam or other liquid into the vein, the tube instead transfers heat into the vein, which safely causes it to collapse and seal shut. Again, there’s no scarring or trauma, and most people are able to walk out of the appointment without aid and return to normal daily activities the following day.

Central Florida Vein & Vascular Center is pleased to not only offer ultrasound-guided foam sclerotherapy, EVLT, and other innovative techniques in the treatment of venous insufficiency, but also to be among the top destination for vein procedures in the entire region. For a consultation, call Central Florida Vein & Vascular Center, home of the best vascular physician in Orlando, at 407-545-3385 or 352-658-5547.