If you’re searching for treatment for a blocked vein, relief from painful varicose veins, or the removal of unattractive spider veins, you’re in the right hands.
Not only do the Rochester Regional Health Vascular surgeons utilize the most advanced treatments available, but they also perform the most procedures in the region.
Common Vascular Conditions
Our experienced surgeons specialize in personalized treatments catered around your condition. Following your clinical examination for vascular disease, we will provide you with the procedure or therapy best-suited for your individual condition. Many of our treatments are minimally invasive and can be performed at the Vascular Surgery location of your choice.
Common vascular conditions we treat include:
- Aortic Aneurysm - a weakening in the largest artery of the body
- Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) - blood clots in the veins
- Pelvic Vein Disease - varicose vein formation in the pelvis
- Peripheral Arterial Disease - problems with blood flow to the arms and legs
- Renal Arterial Occlusive Disease - blockages of blood flow to the intestines and kidneys
- Spider Veins - small discolored veins
- Varicose Veins – large discolored veins
- Venous Leg Ulcers - painful wounds that may develop if you have advanced vein disease
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Vascular Treatments
Vascular disorders, if left untreated, can lead to serious medical problems like heart attack and stroke. With the help of the latest medical technology available, our surgeons diagnose and treat a varied range of vascular disorders, all backed by the resources and reputation of Rochester Regional Health.
Common vascular treatments include:
- Ambulatory phlebectomy - an outpatient procedure that removes superficial veins through small incisions in the skin
- Atherectomy - a minimally invasive endovascular surgery technique that removes atherosclerosis from blood vessels in the body
- Endovascular embolization - an invasive surgical procedure that treats abnormal blood vessels by blocking them to cut off blood flow to an affected area
- Surgical aneurysm repair - a less invasive way to treat aneurysms utilizing a coil or coiling and stenting
- Vascular access procedure - the insertion of a flexible and sterile thin plastic tube or catheter into a blood vessel to draw blood or deliver medications, blood products, or nutrition
- Vena cava filters - a small device placed in your inferior vena cava (a large vein in your abdomen) that prevents blood clots from moving through your blood into your lungs
- Venous thrombectomy - a small incision in the groin allowing a surgeon to insert a catheter and contrast dye to have a clear view of any affected veins
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Varicose Vein Treatments
Your arteries carry blood from the heart to the legs, and your veins return the blood to the heart. Veins contain valves that prevent the blood from flowing back down the legs - a catch-all. If these valves fail or become stretched out - a condition often found during pregnancy - the blood backs up and puts more pressure on the valve, sometimes causing it to fail and allow blood to pool in the lower leg. This pooling stretches out your veins and they become varicose, which causes aching and throbbing. In severe cases, this pooling of blood damages the skin around the ankle, making it itch, turn brown in color, and - if left untreated - can lead to ulceration.
Spider veins are also quite common, but rarely cause any health problems. These very fine red and bluish veins often look like a bruise and can be treated by injections in an outpatient office, but are considered cosmetic for insurance purposes.
Treatment Options
In the past, vein surgery involved vein stripping or the actual removal of the main superficial vein. This carried a 4 - 6 week recovery time for each leg, and the risk of recurrent veins was at least 40% in five years. Minimally invasive techniques are considered the gold standard in vein treatment across the country. By destroying the main superficial vein (the greater saphenous vein), the blood will no longer pool back down the leg, and the vein begins to fade over a few months’ time.
These outpatient procedures offer additional benefits including shorter recovery times, more convenient access to procedures, the latest technology, and lower procedural risks. All our procedures are performed by our team of board-certified surgeons and varicose vein care specialists. Together, we’ll find the right procedure for you.
Treatment options include:
- Sclerotherapy - the most common treatment for varicose and spider veins, sclerotherapy is a minimally invasive procedure that’s performed in an outpatient setting and requires no anesthesia. The treated veins are injected with a sclerosing solution, which causes them to collapse and fade from view.
- Support Hose - lightweight support hose is the initial treatment for varicose veins. They prevent the veins from being stretched and stop the pooling of blood in the leg. In addition, intermittent elevation, routine exercise, and weight loss can all be helpful in treating symptoms. If support hose, anti-inflammatories, and these measures do not relieve your symptoms, surgical treatment may be considered.
- Venafit (VNUS Closure) - formerly known as VNUS Closure, Venefit is an outpatient procedure used to treat larger varicose veins in the legs. The Vascular Surgery team at Rochester Regional Health is the most experienced in the region with this procedure, which uses heat to seal off the damaged veins. Patients are placed under local anesthesia before a thin catheter is inserted into the vein. Then, using radiowave energy, the varicose vein is heated and cauterized to close it off. This less-invasive procedure is performed over traditional vein stripping surgery and offers patients an equally successful option that’s much faster and has a quicker recovery with significantly less pain.
- VenaSeal Closure System - this procedure takes less than 30 minutes and involves just one injection of local anesthetic and a tiny amount of VenaSeal glue to seal up your vein’s inner walls. The glue is inserted into the diseased vein via a fine catheter tube which will seal the vein shut. With virtually no downtime, patients can return to their normal activities immediately.
