Standing and sitting for too long can lead to new spider veins, so it is important to switch up if you have to sit or stand for more than 30 minutes at a time. Wearing tight clothing can also be a cause of spider veins, so avoiding any clothing that restricts blood flow is always a good idea. Regular exercise and the flexing of your feet and ankles are great ways to make sure your blood stays flowing healthily. Lifting your legs multiple times a day to at least the height of your heart is another excellent preventative measure.

Anyone can develop spider veins. However, they are especially common amongst women. In fact, they are found in more than 50% of  females, and become more common in old age. Complications due to spider veins are very rare but they may be an early sign of a more serious condition, CVI, which can lead to complications.

Our minimally invasive procedures allow patients to walk in and walk out, with most able to return to work the next day. Full recovery time will vary from patient to patient. 

It is common to see varicose veins return after treatment with vein stripping, but that is not a procedure we offer. The treatments we use typically improve symptoms within weeks or even days, with some treated veins permanently shrinking so much they cannot be seen on ultrasound at the one-year follow-up.

However, new varicose veins may develop after your initial treatment that require their own treatment. 

Nearly all insurance providers, including Medicare, cover medically necessary treatments for chronic venous disease.  VasCare has developed managed care contracts with most major health insurance plans and networks. Your initial consultation at VasCare will be billed to your insurance and you will typically be responsible for the normal copay or coinsurance required for a specialist office visit and ultrasound (if needed).

UFE may be appropriate in certain cases of symptomatic uterine fibroids after menopause.

In rare cases, women can develop fibroids after experiencing menopause. It’s not yet understood why this happens, although links to hormone replacement therapy and obesity have been noted. Nevertheless, the symptoms of postmenopausal fibroids will be much milder or even non-existent compared to fibroids developed prior to menopause.

If you’ve been diagnosed with fibroids, you may believe hysterectomy is your only treatment option. But that’s not true. At VasCare, we’re treating fibroids with a safe, minimally invasive, outpatient procedure known as UFE. UFE shrinks fibroids and eases symptoms without harming your uterus. Our team is led by Dr. Llewellyn Lee, a vascular and interventional radiologist with over 20 years of UFE experience. Call or visit us today to arrange a consultation.

No, fibroids are benign tumors. In only roughly 1 out of 1,000 patients will they become cancerous.

Pelvic exams often reveal the presence of fibroids, which are then confirmed with ultrasound or MRI. Special tests such as a hysteroscopy or hysterosonogram may also be used to identify fibroids if painful symptoms or infertility can’t be explained by typical methods.

• Ultrasonography uses sound waves to create a picture of the uterus and other pelvic organs.
• Hysteroscopy uses a slender device (the hysteroscope) to see the inside of the uterus. It is inserted through the vagina and cervix (opening of the uterus). This lets your health care professional see fibroids inside the uterine cavity.
• Hysterosalpingography is a special X-ray test. It may detect abnormal changes in the size and shape of the uterus and fallopian tubes.
• Sonohysterography is a test in which fluid is put into the uterus through the cervix. Ultrasonography is then used to show the inside of the uterus. The fluid provides a clear picture of the uterine lining.
• Laparoscopy uses a slender device (the laparoscope) to help your health care professional see the inside of the abdomen. It is inserted through a small cut just below or through the navel. Fibroids on the outside of the uterus can be seen with the laparoscope.