Breaking Down the Vein Bible

Question 1

Vein Disease Symptoms

Answer 1

Itching
Heaviness/Tiredness
Aches/Pain/Tenderness
Burning
Numbness/Tingling
Night Cramps
Restless Legs

Question 2

Vein Disease Signs

Answer 2

Spider Veins - Especially from the knees to ankles
Varicose Veins
Ankle Swelling
Skin Discoloration - Especially near your ankles
Bleeding Veins
Ulceration(s)

Question 3

Causes of Vein Disease

Answer 3

Heredity
Pregnancy
Occupations Requiring Prolonged Standing or Sitting
Age
Obesity
Trauma

Question 4

What is Vein Disease?

Answer 4

The improper functioning of veins and their valves: The valves in our veins prevent the back flow of blood, but when the veins enlarge, valves do not shut completely and blood leaks through the valves towards the feet

Question 5

What is the difference between a vein and an artery?

Answer 5

Arteries carry blood away from the heart and veins carry blood to the heart

Question 6

What are the two vein systems?

Answer 6

Deep Vein System and Superficial Vein System

Question 7

What is the Deep Vein System?

Answer 7

Deep in your muscles

Carry 98% of your blood back to your heart

Deep vein Disease is uncommon; blood clots (DVT) form here

Question 8

What is the Superficial Vein System?

Answer 8

Close to your skin

Carry 2% of your blood back to your heart

Superficial Vein Disease is common; varicose veins may form

Question 9

How many hearts do we have and where are they?

Answer 9

Three: The one in your chest and one in each of you calf muscles, called the calf muscle pump

Calf contraction compresses your deep veins

Blood moves up and out of your legs

Question 10

What are the conservative measures you can do to slow the progression of Vein Disease?

Answer 10

Sit at the proper height
Walk - Exercise - Get in the pool
Wear graduated compression hose
Achieve and maintain your ideal body weight

Question 11

Superficial Vein Disease (SVD) affects how many Americans?

Answer 11

SVD affects 75% of Americans and when undiagnosed or untreated can lead to shorter careers and shorter lives.

To put it in perspective vision correction with eyeglasses and/or contact lenses only affects 65% of Americans.

Question 12

At an advanced stage what can SVD cause?

Answer 12

Advanced SVD can result in permanent and progressive ankle swelling, skin changes, tissue damage, and leads to ulcerations or non-healing wounds

Question 13

How is SVD prevented and reduced?

Answer 13

With conservative measures as well as routine visits to the vein physician every 1-3 years

Question 14

How much do treatments cost?

Answer 14

SVD treatment is covered by most health insurances

Typically the insurance companies require a conservative trial of compression hose and other measures to have the treatments covered

Question 15

Why do we recommend medical grade compression socks?

Answer 15

High quality compression hose are fitted to your leg size and shape making them more comfortable for long wear

They are also graduated meaning the sock pressure decreases as the sock goes up your leg which more effectively pushes blood and lymph fluid up and towards your heart

Question 16

What are spider veins?

Answer 16

Small, red-purple-blue veins just below the skin surface

Swollen with stagnant blood so they are quite prominent

Question 17

If a patient has spider veins does that always mean they have vein disease?

Answer 17

No, spider veins can also be caused by injury

However, spider veins below the knee are almost ALWAYS caused by medical vein disease

Question 18

How are spider veins treated?

Answer 18

The “gold standard” for treating spider veins is sclerotherapy

However, it is vital to medically treat deeper veins before cosmetically treating superficial veins because spiders veins are like weeds and if you don’t address the roots they will just keep coming back

Question 19

What is sclerotherapy?

Answer 19

Sclerotherapy is the injection of a solution that irritates the lining of your vein blood vessel

This causes the vein to die and then it takes months for your body to absorb the dead veins

Question 20

Why is Vein 911’s approach to sclerotherapy world-class in cosmetic results in comparison to most vein treatment centers?

Answer 20

We perform foam sclerotherapy (VenaThrive) whereas liquid sclerotherapy is more commonly performed

The Foam allows us to eliminate the spider veins more effectively, with less needle- sticks, and with less treatment sessions (less expensive $$) than other vein treatments centers

Question 21

How many sclerotherapy sessions does a patient need to address spider veins?

Answer 21

The average patient requires 3-6, thirty minutes sessions

Sessions are 2-3 weeks apart

Note: Other centers may require monthly sessions for 12 or more months to achieve the same results Vein911 can achieve in just a few short months

Question 22

How long before the patients’ spider veins disappear?

Answer 22

Treated veins often look worse before they look better

It may take months for the body to absorb the dead spider veins

Rule of thumb: The larger the veins, the longer they take to disappear

Question 23

Will the patients’ spider veins come back?

Answer 23

Properly treated spider veins do not come back

However, new spider veins develop over time and you will need “maintence”

“Once a vein patient always a vein patient”

Question 24

How do graduated compression socks work?

Answer 24

Leg muscles have veins or tubes which return blood to your heart

Compressed veins are narrow veins so blood moves faster to your heart which has medical and athletic performance benefits

Wearing compression socks is like putting your thumb over a garden hose

Question 25

What are the researched performance benefits of wearing graduated compression socks?

Answer 25

Faster return of deoxygenated blood to lungs Improvement of tissue oxygenation Reduction in leg muscle pain and fatigue by acceleration clearance of lactic acid and metabolites Reduction in muscle oscillation upon ground contact during running Faster recovery and less muscle soreness following exercise if socks are worn 2 hours after exertion *Banned from some cycling events because it is literally considered a "performance enhancing drug"*

Question 26

What are the researched benefits of wearing graduated compression hose?

Answer 26

Improves symptoms of Vein disease Improves skin changes, ulcer healing/recurrence of chronic venous disease Lowers risk of DVT/blood clots Improves symptoms of those with DVT and remote DVT Helps stop the enlargement and extension of newly formed blood clots Helps travelers and pregnant women prevent swelling, leg pain and discomfort

Question 27

What is VenaThrive?

Answer 27

The exclusive ultrasound guided sclerotherapy method developed by Dr. Pittman where instead on injecting a liquid solution the Doctor administers a foam solution

Question 28

What is thermal ablation?

Answer 28

Developed around the year 2000 It is the elimination of abnormal straight veins inside the leg using a straight laser fiber or radio frequency electrode, closing the abnormal vein and improving venous circulation in the leg It can only eliminate an abnormal straight vein though so virtually every patient needs an additional procedure to treat the invisible branches coming off the treated vein These branch veins feed into varicose veins whether visible or hidden under the skin

Question 29

What are the current methods to treat veins?

Answer 29

Thermal Ablation Phlebectomy Ultrasound-guided Foam Sclerotherapy

Question 30

What is a Phlebectomy?

Answer 30

It is a surgical procedure in which incisions are made in the skin and a small metal hook is used to pull visible varicose veins out Essentially removing the "tip of the iceberg" and leaving most of the patients problem veins hiding under the surface behind Moreover, it doesn't remove any branch veins and varicose veins that can only be seen with an ultrasound machine

Question 31

What are the risks and complications of a Phlebectomy?

Answer 31

Phlebectomy may result in scarring, bleeding, hematoma, infection, nerve injury with numbness, and lymphatic disruption with possible lymphocele (small fluid collection), lymphedema (swelling) and lymphorrhea (seeping of fluid through puncture site)

Question 32

What is Ultrasound-guided Foam Sclerotherapy?

Answer 32

Refined roughly 30 years ago NO surgical incision is made Ultrasound is used to identify hidden, abnormal veins and a tiny needle is directed into the vein where the foam solution is then injected and instantly destroys the abnormal vein The foam is absorbed by the patients' blood in a few seconds and nothing is left behind Over several months the patients' body will then absorb the treated vein

Question 33

Do we ever use any of these treatment methods in conjunction with one another?

Answer 33

Yes! Most patients need 1-2 treatments of Thermal ablation before their UGFS treatments Never with a Phlebectomy

Question 34

How many Vein911 patients have recurrent vein problems from prior treatment with thermal ablation and/or phlebectomy?

Answer 34

1 in 4! This is because they never received UGFS as part of their vein treatment plan and hidden abnormal veins were left behind.

Question 35

How does Vein911 feel about surgery in vein care?

Answer 35

"Friends don't let friends get vein surgery!" There is no role for surgery in vein care Modern vein treatment is not a surgical disease and seeing a surgeon or "vascular" surgeon is no guarantee you will receive state-of-the-art vein care