Our Process
How Do Your Legs Feel & Look Right Now?
Do your legs experience pain, swelling, or sock lines? Is there visible spider or varicose veins? Do they feel tired or cramped at night?
Imagine what life would be like if you didn’t have to live with these problems.
Let’s start eliminating the pain & embarrassment of your legs by following our 3-step process below.
STEP 1: Consultation
Encountering a doctor who doesn’t listen, displays rudeness, or rushes through appointments can be extremely frustrating.
However, at The Vein Institute at Southern Surgical Arts, you can rest assured that your concerns will be heard and addressed by our attentive and welcoming staff.
Our team of experts, including a provider and an ultrasonographer, will provide you with top-notch care from your very first visit.
STEP 2: Ultrasound
Tired of making extra trips for x-rays, labs, or other imaging tests after leaving the doctor’s office?
At The Vein Institute at Southern Surgical Arts, you can say goodbye to that hassle. We offer onsite ultrasound and diagnostics, eliminating the need for multiple appointments and saving you valuable time.
Plus, you’ll receive same-day results from one of our providers, ensuring a streamlined and efficient experience.
STEP 3: Treatment Plan
Rest assured, when you walk out of The Vein Institute at Southern Surgical Arts, you’ll have a comprehensive treatment plan in hand.
With a variety of options available, including Varithena, vascular laser, sclerotherapy, endovenous ablation, and others, we tailor the treatment to your specific needs and objectives.
Say goodbye to leg discomfort—let us craft the perfect solution for you. Explore our treatments further by scrolling down.
Our Treatments
Varithena
Varithena is the first FCA approved injectable foam treatment that corrects reflux in the saphenous veins and reducing the appearance of bulging veins, as well as reducing discomfort from throbbing, itchy, achy, and painful vein disease reported by many patients. Best of all, this treatment will leave your legs looking and feeling better. It typically used specifically with the great saphenous vein(GSV) and surrounding veins. Patients with varicose veins, with or without pain or discomfort, are typically good candidates for this treatment.
This non-surgical treatment does not require sedation, but we will numb the treatment area – about the size of your fingernail – to ensure you are not in any discomfort. The doctor, using ultrasound guidance, will then insert a small needle or catheter tube into the problem area of your varicose veins through which the Varithena foam will enter the vein, causing the vein to collapse. When it collapses, the blood will flow into a nearby healthy vein. The procedure typically takes less than an hour.
Vascular Laser
Leg veins, spider veins, and other visible vascular insufficiencies are common aesthetic conditions for which patients seek treatment for both medical and cosmetic reasons. Lasers and other light-based technologies enable effective treatment of unsightly veins by causing the vessels to collapse through coagulation with very minimal damage to adjacent structures.
Vascular lasers can be used on the legs, face or anywhere spider veins occur. This treatment can be used alone or in conjunction with other more invasive procedures. Vascular laser procedures can be used to treat leg veins, spider veins, vascular lesions, port wine stains, telangiectasias and hemangiomas for both medical and aesthetic needs.
Sclerotherapy
Sclerotherapy is a minimally-invasive procedure in which a liquid or foam substance is injected into spider, reticular, or small varicose veins to cause them to collapse.
When performed by a qualified vein specialist, sclerotherapy is a safe and quick outpatient procedure that produces beautiful results. Because the needle used for the procedure is so tiny, patients generally feel little discomfort during the procedure, though they may feel some itching or burning for a few hours afterward.
During a sclerotherapy procedure, Dr. Gardner will inject a sterile chemical solution into the affected vein using a very fine needle. The solution is designed to irritate the inside lining of the vein, which causes the walls of the vein to swell and stick together. Ultimately, the veins collapse and are reabsorbed by the body.
Endovenous Ablation
Endovenous ablation is one of the modern, less invasive treatments of venous diseases that have replaced older, more invasive treatments such as vein stripping.
Endovenous ablation is a safe and effective procedure that provides dramatic improvements for a patient’s quality of life. The common symptoms of aching, swelling, leg pain, cramping, skin ulcerations, and discoloration can all be addressed with endovenous techniques. There is little to no scarring and this is a relatively low-risk procedure. Depending on your symptoms and medical condition, your doctor may recommend an endovenous procedure by itself or in conjunction with other treatment techniques to achieve the best outcome.
Microphlebectomy
Microphlebectomy is a minimally-invasive procedure used to remove medium to large, bulging varicose veins located near the surface of the skin. Microphlebectomy may be performed as a stand-alone procedure but is usually performed as part of a comprehensive vein treatment plan that includes other procedures such as endovenous laser ablation.
Microphlebectomy is highly-regarded by patients because it is minimally-invasive, requires only local anesthesia, leaves minimal to no scars, and has very little downtime. In fact, there is no downtime from driving, and you can go back to activities like strenuous workouts in around a week.
High Ligation
High ligation is a medical term that refers to tying off a vein through surgical methods to prevent blood flow into a diseased or non-functioning vein. The vein most likely to undergo a ligation procedure is the great saphenous vein, which is the large, superficial vein that runs from the groin into the foot.
High ligation was historically performed in conjunction with vein stripping or as a stand-alone procedure if some of the valves within the vein are still healthy. At The Vein Institute, high ligation is offered in combination with endovenous ablation procedures when the saphenous vein is extremely large or in patients on blood thinners. In these situations, high ligation increases the chance of treatment success.
While some doctors may perform vein stripping in conjunction with high ligation, The Vein Institute does not perform vein stripping because superior, cutting-edge treatments with fewer side effects and risks are available.
Vein Stripping
Vein stripping is a procedure in which diseased veins are removed from the leg. The vein most frequently targeted is the great saphenous vein, the largest superficial vein in the body that runs from the ankle up into the groin area.
During the procedure, the doctor will make incisions and insert a wire into the vein. The vein is then affixed to the wire so that it can be pulled (or, “stripped”) through the incision and removed. This procedure carries certain risks, such as the development of Deep Vein Thrombosis following the procedure. Additionally, some patients report pain following the procedure as well as nerve damage. Also, vein stripping procedures are done using much larger incisions when compared to modern techniques.
Blood Thinners
Blood thinners, or anticoagulants, are used to prevent stroke in patients who have atrial fibrillation (an irregular heartbeat that can cause heart failure and strokes) and to treat blood clots. At The Vein Institute, many of our patients are on blood thinners because of past or current history with blood clots including deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and superficial thrombophlebitis, an inflammatory response caused by a blood clot beneath the skin.
FAQs
Varicose veins are caused by blood going the wrong way into veins that are just under the skin. By inserting a small laser into the abnormal vein, we can stop this backward flow of blood and redirect it into the healthy veins. This cuts the blood flow to the abnormal veins, and they shrivel up and disappear.
Venous reflux disease – which leads to Leg or ankle swelling, Leg Pain and Aching, Leg Cramps, Restless leg, Leg heaviness or fatigue, Burning or Itching skin, Skin Changes or Rash
Venous reflux disease is a progressive medical condition that if left untreated, will likely worsen over time and develop into a more serious form of venous disease called chronic venous insufficiency (CVI). CVI leads to more serious outcomes such as poor healing wounds, permanent skin damage, and an increased risk of deep blood clot.
- Patients get relief/improvement of symptoms after 2 days
- This is a permanent fix to diseased refluxing veins in the legs
- Proven long term results with positive patient outcomes and experience
- Rapid recovery with patients resuming normal activities within a few days
- The procedure takes about 20-40 minutes.
- The procedure is almost always a permanent fix for the diseased veins being treated.
- The number of treatments needed depends on the severity and number of veins that are diseased.
Varicose Veins, Spider Veins, Leg or ankle swelling, Leg Pain and Aching, Leg Cramps, Restless leg, Leg heaviness or fatigue, Burning or Itching skin, Skin Changes or Rash.
- The procedure takes about 20-40 minutes in most cases.
- The procedure is good at closing down small varicose veins and spider veins.
- Most people will need 1-2 treatments with compounded sclerotherapy depending on the severity and number of their varicose veins.
- Resolution of the varicose veins treated.
- Proven track record with years of solid research behind it
- Improvement/resolution of unwanted pain, aching, pressure, swelling, and other associated symptoms.
- Improved cosmetic appearance of varicose and spider veins.
