What is a varicose vein specialist called?
The official terminology for a varicose vein specialist is a phlebologist, i.e., a doctor who specializes in phlebology, the branch of medicine concerned with the diagnosis and treatment of vascular conditions. Phlebologists are also known as vein doctors, vein specialists, vein experts, vein physicians, and vascular doctors. They can come from all fields of medicine, including dermatology, internal medicine, cardiology, and anesthesiology, but they must have specialized training in phlebology and minimally invasive vein treatments.
Long Island Vein Center is led by some of the country’s leading vascular doctors. We individually select vein doctors from the country’s leading medical schools, residency programs, and fellowships, focusing solely on vein specialists with advanced training in minimally invasive spider vein and varicose vein treatments. Our vein doctors also undergo advanced board certification from the American Board of Venous and Lymphatic Medicine, establishing themselves as the leading experts in vein care.
We have state-of-the-art vein centers in West Islip, Jericho, and Hampton Bays. Our vein center on the south shore is located at 500 Montauk Highway, Suite G, West Islip, a 5-minute drive from the southern state parkway. Our vein center on the north shore is located at 350 Jericho Turnpike Suite 1A, right off of the long island expressway. And our vein center in the Hamptons is located at 225 W Montauk Highway Suite 3, Hampton Bays.
Please schedule an appointment with your nearest vein doctor in Long Island.
What doctor treats vein problems?
Phlebologists are doctors specializing in the treatment of vein problems. Phlebologists can come from all fields of medicine, including anesthesiology, internal medicine, and dermatology. To become phlebologists, they must simply pass a few examinations and written tests. The best way to identify phlebologists who truly excel at their profession is to find board-certified vein doctors, i.e., phlebologists who are officially certified by the American Board of Venous and Lymphatic Medicine, an organization that only recognizes the country’s top 1% vein doctors.
What is the difference between varicose veins and spider veins?
Patients often conflate the terms varicose veins and spider veins — they assume they’re the same things, but they’re not. Spider veins are dense clusters of damaged blood vessels visible underneath the skin’s surface, usually looking like dense spider webs crawling against your skin. Varicose veins are bulging blood vessels that appear in a twisted, tangled, and knotted form on your legs, usually looking like dense tree trunks or branches. Varicose veins and spider veins are damaged blood vessels, but varicose veins are more dangerous.
Why do varicose veins form?
Chronic venous insufficiency, a dangerous circulatory disorder caused by the collapse of vein valves, is the primary reason behind the formation of varicose veins. In healthy veins, the valves act as one-way doors — they allow blood to flow towards the heart but not backward due to gravity. When your vein valves malfunction, blood flows backward due to gravity and pools in the leg veins. The continued accumulation of blood in leg veins eventually leads to vascular dilation and the formation of bulging varicose veins.
What is the best treatment for varicose veins in the legs?
Since varicose veins are caused by chronic venous insufficiency, your vein treatment should start with the treatment of vein disease. Endovenous laser ablation, radiofrequency ablation, and venaseal are some of the best minimally invasive treatments for chronic venous insufficiency. After treating the root cause of your vein problems, the vein doctor can offer treatments for superficial varicose veins, such as ambulatory phlebectomy and sclerotherapy. Treating varicose veins without addressing the root cause is pointless because the varicose veins will return later.
Endovenous Ablation
During endovenous ablation, the vein doctor makes a small incision on the skin’s surface to insert a specialized catheter into the diseased vein under ultrasound guidance. The catheter generates thermal or laser energy to destroy the diseased saphenous vein, rerouting the accumulated blood into healthier leg veins. This procedure involves no downtime and allows you to resume your daily activities immediately.
VenaSeal
VenaSeal is one of the latest minimally invasive procedures for chronic venous insufficiency. During VenaSeal treatment, the vein doctor injects a medical-grade adhesive into the diseased vein to seal its walls shut, turning it into a hardened scar tissue eventually reabsorbed by the body. The accumulated blood reroutes into healthier leg veins, restoring optimal blood circulation to the heart. VenaSeal involves no downtime or major activity restrictions — you can also continue swimming after the treatment.
Ambulatory Phlebectomy
Ambulatory phlebectomy is a cutting-edge, minimally invasive procedure for superficial varicose veins. After your primary vein treatment, the vein doctor may administer this treatment to remove the visible varicose veins. The vein doctor makes small incisions on the skin’s surface to extract the varicose veins, following which the incisions are closed. The incision marks gradually heal and fade away from the skin’s surface.
When should you contact a vein doctor?
You should contact a vein doctor if you notice any of the signs and symptoms of vein disease. Most people contact vein doctors when they notice spider veins or varicose veins. But you should ideally contact a vein doctor when you notice the early symptoms of venous insufficiency, such as leg heaviness, leg pain, restless leg syndrome, and frequent leg cramps. And you should definitely contact a vein doctor if you notice spider veins, varicose veins, leg swelling, skin discoloration, or leg ulcers — the advanced complications of vein disease.