VARICOSE VEINS & VENOUS DISEASE

Varicose veins are a common problem that affects approximately half of all Americans over the age of 50. These blue, bulging, twisted veins are visible through the skin on your legs. Varicose veins occur when the walls or valves in veins near the skin stretch or weaken, allowing blood to flow back down into the legs. When too much blood flows back into your legs, the leg veins become swollen, painful, and cosmetically unappealing. Varicose veins may cause edema (swelling), heaviness, pain, hyperpigmentation (excess pigmentation that darkens the skin), and in severe cases, skin ulceration (sores). At Lenox Hill Heart and Vascular Institute, our dedicated physicians successfully relieve this pain and improve the appearance of your legs by using a variety of new and traditional treatment options--many of which can be completed in about one hour, with little discomfort under local anesthesia.

Treatment
Lenox Hill Heart and Vascular Institute offers extensive expertise in the field of cosmetic vein surgery, with more than 35 years of experience in standard surgical approaches and more than 5 years of experience in endovascular approaches. Our physicians, led by Dr. Pamoukian, provide effective treatment using state-of-the-art technology. The varicose vein treatments we offer include:

EndoVenous Laser Treatment (EVLT). In this new, state-of-the-art and minimally invasive treatment, laser energy kills the tissue of the diseased portion of a varicose vein, causing the vein to seal closed and eventually be reabsorbed by the body. EVLT is performed in your physician's office in about 30 to 60 minutes, and you can return to most normal activities immediately afterward. Lenox Hill patients have been extremely satisfied with the results.

Sclerotherapy. In this minimally invasive procedure, the physician injects a chemical substance directly into your affected veins that hardens them from the inside out. The veins are then no longer able to fill with blood and they form a hardened cord, which breaks up naturally and is reabsorbed by your body. This procedure is typically performed in less than 45 minutes, and you will be able to walk out of the office when it is finished.

Vein Stripping and Vein Ligation. Traditionally, very large varicose veins have been treated with surgical techniques called vein stripping and vein ligation. In vein ligation, an incision is made over the varicose vein and the vein is tied off, or ligated. Vein stripping is used to remove varicose veins from the body.

Additional procedures
In addition to varicose vein treatments, the skilled physicians at Lenox Hill Heart and Vascular Institute offer a full range of cosmetic treatment options for spider veins, telangiectases, and blemishes. Our center prides itself on our effective treatment of patients with venous insufficiency and ulceration of venous origin, as well. Our world-renowned experts also have extensive experience in the placement of temporary prophylactic inferior vena cava filters for patients at high risk for pulmonary embolism during surgery, such as those undergoing bariatric surgery, spinal surgery, or hip replacement surgery.

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Lenox Hill Hospital
130 East 77th Street,
13th floor
New York, NY 10021
Phone: (212)434-3420
Fax: (212) 434-3410
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