Cosmetic Surgery of Veins Austin
Cosmetic Surgery or Plastic Surgery is a surgical specialty that deals with repairing parts of the body to improve the cosmetic appearance. Austin Vein Specialists is a cosmetic surgery medical practice that specialized in plastic surgery procedures for vein disease. We focus mostly on the treatment of varicose veins and spider veins of the legs, but we also perform treatments on the face, feet, stomach, and other parts of the body. Any part of the skin can develop abnormal veins. Our focus is to resolve abnormal surface veins within the skin or beneath the skin in order to improve the appearance of the body.
Description of Plastic Surgery of Veins
Plastic surgery of veins is most often referred to as micro phlebectomy or ambulatory phlebectomy. Other terms include stab phlebectomy, hook phlebectomy, pin phlebectomy, or micro-incision phlebectomy. The concept is very simple. First, the skin and vein are numbed with local anesthetics such as Novacaine, Xylocaine, or Lidocaine. A very small incision is then made overlying the abnormal vein. A specialized vein instrument such as a tiny hook or angled pin is then placed through the small skin puncture in order to grasp and secure the vein. The vein is carefully delivered through the wound and separated from the skin and fat until it is fully delivered through the wound. The small skin puncture is often closed with a derma bond (“skin super glue”) or a stitch/suture that dissolves.
Other Cosmetic Surgery Procedures Offered for Vein Disease
The type of cosmetic surgery procedure that is best for you is determined by multiple factors. These include the size of the veins, the number of veins, the location of the veins, the underlying anatomy of the veins attached to the surface veins, and whether the veins are spider veins or varicose veins.
The most common cosmetic treatment performed for spider veins is sclerotherapy. This involves the injection of medications into the veins with a micro-needle to cause the veins to die and disappear. The second most common treatment for spider veins is laser therapy and Ohmic thermolyses such as Veinwave and VeinGog. These treatments utilize heat energy to heat or cauterize the abnormal veins, causing them to die and disappear. This treatment is most applicable for the treatment of spider veins of the face, feet, or ankle. It is also frequently utilized for very small clusters of spider veins on the legs.
There most common cosmetic treatment for reticular veins (i.e. small varicose veins that are 1-3 mm in diameter) is sclerotherapy. Reticular veins are too larger to respond well to thermal energy such as a laser. Reticular veins are usually either treated with traditional sclerotherapy or foam sclerotherapy. Ultrasound is often utilized to help guide this therapy.
Plastic Surgery for Varicose Veins of the Legs
Cosmetic surgery treatment of varicose veins varies tremendously and depends on multiple factors. The size of the varicose veins, the location of the veins, and the underlying vein anatomy beneath the varicose veins are some of the most critical factors that determine the best options for the treatment of varicose veins. An ultrasound of the leg veins should always be performed prior to any cosmetic surgery for varicose veins. Ultrasound findings help the vein specialist to determine the treatment that will be most effective and provide you with the best cosmetic results. The ultrasound also helps to make sure that the treatment done will also minimize the risk of treatment failure or recurrence of varicose veins in the future.
Plastic surgery procedures for varicose veins fall into the below categories:
1) Phlebectomy
2) EndoVenous Laser Therapy (i.e. EVLT)
3) Radiofrequency Endovenous Ablation (i.e. Venefit or VNUS procedure)
4) Traditional Sclerotherapy
5) Foam Sclerotherapy
6) Clarivein Procedure
7) Varithena
8) Venaseal
9) Vein Ligation
10) Endoscopic SEPS procedure
11) Trivex powered phlebectomy
Which one of these procedures would best treat your vein disease would be determined by our vein specialists.
