Spider Vein Treatments

Spider veins often occur along the outer aspects of the thighs, the back of the knee, or near the ankles. The larger varicose veins are addressed by surgery or by endovenous ablation of these veins with good results. Since this procedure is not done in our clinic, the patients will be appropriately referred to the best physicians in the city. The smaller veins respond well to laser or light treatments, which can be done with minimal or no downtime.

1064nm laser, at a particular pulse width and energy levels, is attracted to the blood cells within the small blood vessels, which in turn coagulates and shuts the vessel down. Up to 3 mm vessels can be addressed by this modality, the larger the vessel more is the discomfort during the procedure. The normal sensation is similar to the snapping of a rubber band. A cold sapphire plate through which the laser is fired provides the comfort.

For finer capillaries, Broadband light therapy with appropriate cutoff filter effectively handles the obliteration of these vessels. Since the body tries in vain to recanalize the blood vessels, about 3 to 4 treatments, spaced 4-6 weeks apart, may be needed to shut them down completely.