Vein Center
As blood flows through your veins to your heart, stop valves are designed to prevent the blood from flowing backwards as gravity pulls it down. If the valves don't close properly, blood pools in the vein, forcing the walls to enlarge and bulge out. This is what causes varicose veins (large veins). When this pooling occurs, the walls of the veins can become very dilated. These veins can be unattractive and causes symptoms such as burning, aching, throbbing, heaviness and swelling.
Spider veins (tiny veins) and medium sized veins (reticular veins) can be found on the face, chest, abdomen and legs, either alone or in association with large varicose veins.
Spider veins are tiny purplish-blue or red veins very close to the surface of the skin. While often painless, they can cause stinging or burning sensations. Spider veins are often associated with medium-sized veins (even if you can't see them), which may feed into them with reverse flowing blood under pressure from a deeper source.
Reticular veins are generally blue veins. They are often located on the chest, behind the knees, or on the sides of the thighs, knees, and calves. Generally these veins are present along with spider veins. Often they cause symptoms of sharp or stinging pains.
Spider and medium sized veins are not necessary for normal circulation. Treating them can help control symptoms and improves the appearance and superficial circulation of the legs.
Varicose, reticular and spider veins all have different methods of treatment. Untreated, venous disease can progress to bleeding from leg veins, ankle ulcers and superficial blood clots (phlebitis). Generally, the earlier treatment is started, the better the results.
Endovenous Laser Ablation for Varicose Veins
If you suffer from varicose veins, you may be one of the millions of men and women who might benefit from the Sciton Pro-V endovenous laser ablation (EVLA).
With the Pro-V EVLA, you may become free from varicose veins and their symptoms almost immediately with a simple, virtually pain-free office-based procedure.
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Most comfortable laser procedure available
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Rapid relief of symptoms
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No downtime – quick return to work and play
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Minimal, if any, scarring and bruising
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No general anesthesia
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Quick, office-based procedure
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Highly effective – over 98% success rate
The Pro-V EVLA Procedure
EVLA is a quick, minimally invasive laser procedure that leaves no scar and can be performed in our office. The treatment takes less than 1 hour. Here's what to expect: 
1. Ultrasound is used to map out your vein.
2. A local anesthetic is applied.
3. A thin laser fiber is inserted through a tiny entry-point, usually near the knee.
4. Laser energy is delivered to seal the faulty vein.
Walking immediately after the procedure is encouraged. Normal daily activity can be resumed. Rigorous activities, such as gym workouts, should be avoided.
There may be minor soreness and bruising. Any discomfort can be treated with over-the-counter, non-aspirin pain relievers as needed.
How does the EVLA work?
The laser energy damages the vein walls, shrinking them and closing the faulty vein so that the blood cannot flow through it. This eliminates vein bulging at the source.
Is loss of this vein a problem?
No. After treatment, the blood in the faulty veins will be diverted to the many normal veins in the leg.
How successful is EVLA?
97-98% of first time EVLA treatments are successful.
Non-Invasive Superficial Vein Treatment
The Sciton 1064 ClearScan Laser provides a safe, fast, gentle and effective method for removal of veins by producing a laser wavelength which is preferentially absorbed by the pigment, or color, in the blood vessel. This specific laser wavelength was selected after considerable research and experience using lasers of other wavelengths for vein removal. After the shortcomings of the earlier approaches became evident, a wavelength was chosen that is able to safely pass through all colors of skin, without being significantly absorbed by other skin structures. The laser light passes through a specially designed computer controlled temperature adjustable sapphire cooling plate which helps protect the skin from damage and minimizes patient discomfort. Each light pulse lasts for only several thousandths of a second, so the energy from the beam is almost completely absorbed by the red cells in the vein, without significant spread to the surrounding tissue. The veins are heated and form clots resulting in closure and gradual reabsorption of the vein.
Since the Sciton 1064 ClearScan Laser uses an adjustable beam, it can treat many different sized veins, although it is used most often for smaller veins. The Sciton 1064 ClearScan Laser can be used anywhere on the body, except around the eyes, and treatment can almost always be performed without anesthesia. Smaller leg veins respond with minimal discomfort. With larger leg veins, which absorb more energy, the sensation is similar to the snap of a rubber band. Because of the unique design and flexibility of the system and its handpiece, we can customize a treatment according to your skin color and the size and depth of your veins. In just a few treatment sessions the appearance of your skin can be permanently improved.
How does the Sciton Laser differ from the earlier vein removal systems?
Almost all of the older laser systems had shorter wavelengths, namely 694 to 810 nanometers. Because the wavelength of light is shorter, the light is scattered more within the skin and is mostly absorbed in the upper most portion of the skin. This may result in insufficient energy reaching the veins. These short wave length lasers can be difficult or impossible to use safely on people with dark or tanned skin.
The Sciton Laser uses the long wavelength of 1064 nanometers. This longer wavelength allows the laser energy to reach even the deepest skin veins, while at the same time allowing safe and effective treatment for all people of all skin colors, even those with darker or black skin. This combination of safety and efficacy represents a major advance over the older treatment systems. The extreme flexibility and adjustability of the Sciton Laser provides an additional benefit over the older systems. This laser allows the operator to easily adjust the duration and power of the laser pulse as well as the size of the laser beam to allow precise, safe and optimized treatment for different types & sizes of vessels. The adjustable sapphire cooling head provides the operator with a clear view of the treatment area and results in a safer and relatively pain free procedure. The 1064 wavelength allows the operator to use clear safety goggles, which provide better visualization than the colored goggles required by the older shorter wavelength lasers.
Who are the best candidates for laser vein removal?
Those individuals with dark veins and light skin color respond most optimally. In people with darker skin color (more melanin in the skin), the skin tends to compete with the veins for light energy, resulting in the potential for damage to the skin. That is why tanning should be avoided before (and after) laser treatments. Because the adjustable sapphire cooling plate of the Sciton Leg Vein Laser tends to protect the skin and because the long wavelength light that is used by this laser tends to penetrate more deeply and scatter less, the 1064nm wavelength used by the Sciton Laser is currently the best available for treating patients with fine veins and darker skin colors.
What parts of the body can be treated?
With the exception of the area immediately around the eye, all parts of the body can be treated with the Sciton Laser.
Is laser vein removal "permanent"?
Long term follow-up studies indicate that most of the veins which respond are permanently destroyed. However, a certain percentage of the veins are injured, but not completely destroyed, and some of these may reopen. Therefore, it takes between two to five treatments to remove the veins from a particular area, and even then, there may be resistant veins which persist. For vein removal a 70-90% improvement is a realistic goal.
What preparation is needed before laser treatment?
Tanning should be avoided. The hair at the treatment site should be shaved at home, before the laser treatment. Excess hair, above the skin surface, absorbs laser energy and reduces the amount of energy that reaches the vein. To minimize bruising, it is important to avoid aspirin, anticoagulants and Ibuprofen and its relatives both immediately before and after the laser treatment.
Is treatment painful?
Most patients describe the treatment as mildly uncomfortable but not painful. The treatment sensation is compared to the "snap" of a rubber band. The Sciton cooling plate, which provides cooling before, during and after the laser pulse, provides a much more comfortable treatment than that provided by many other laser systems. Because the treatment of larger leg veins requires larger amounts of energy absorption, this tends to be somewhat more uncomfortable than treatment of other areas. Icepacks can be applied before and immediately after the treatment.
If you feel you have elevated pain sensitivity, or if we are treating a sensitive area, you may request a topical anesthetic to be applied in our office for an additional, but nominal, charge.
What will I look like after the treatment?
Within a few minutes after the treatment, the treated area will usually become somewhat red and puffy. This reaction usually subsides within a few hours although some mild redness may persist for up to 2 days. Since the skin is not otherwise injured, no bandages are necessary, and you can return to your normal activities immediately.
How many treatments are needed?
Generally, it takes 2-5 treatments at monthly intervals to effectively treat most veins.
How much do the treatments cost?
The treatment cost depends on the size and number of the veins being treated.
What are the potential risks of laser treatment?
Initial redness and/or swelling is common, but it usually lasts only a few hours or days. Very rarely a blister can develop, and even more rarely an infection or scar could result. Any injury to the skin can cause a flare of herpes simplex in people who carry the virus in the treated area. This can generally be prevented with appropriate medication. People with darker skin types have more risk of color change, either darkening or lightening of the skin, but the Sciton Laser appears to be the least likely of all the lasers to produce these complications, since its long wavelength and sapphire chilling plate protect the skin surface.
Are there any patients that cannot be treated?
With the Sciton Laser, people of all skin types can be treated. The darker the skin type, the more treatments and the slower the treatment, so it is preferable not to have a tan when being treated.
Isolaz Vein Treatment
The Isolaz light treatment provides a safe, fast, gentle and effective method for removal of spider veins by producing a laser wavelength which is preferentially absorbed by the pigment, or color, in the blood vessel. The treatment is comfortable with no "downtime", and is most effective on very small facial veins and diffuse facial redness.
