Vein Disease

If you have vein disease, the veins in your legs don’t work as they should. Typically, this means the valves in those veins aren’t keeping blood moving in one direction, to your heart. Instead, blood collects in your veins.

Baystate Health Vascular Services offers complete expert care for vein problems, including deep vein thrombosis (DVT), varicose veins, venous insufficiency (CVI), and spider veins.

Our experienced vascular specialists offer the most advanced treatments in our region. In fact, Baystate Health (BH) has the only board-certified vascular surgeons in Western Massachusetts who offer venous ablation technology to treat varicose veins. Rely on our team to ease the pain and discomfort of your vein disease.

Venous Ablation Therapy

We have the only board certified vascular surgeons in western Massachusetts offering venous ablation technology to get rid of varicose veins. Typically performed in the doctor’s office with a local anesthetic to numb the area being treated, the procedure involves entering the vein with a small needle and delivering heat to close the vein.

Laser Therapy & Radiofrequency Ablation

This laser therapy for varicose veins and spider veins works by delivering laser energy through a small puncture (tiny hole) in the leg to help close the diseased vein. It is usually performed in the doctor’s office with a local anesthetic to numb the area being treated.

Traditional Surgery/Vein Stripping

Complex cases of varicose veins are treated with surgical removal, called vein stripping, which is performed in an operating room.

Phlebectomy

Secondary abnormal veins can be removed with a less invasive procedure called stab phlebectomy. In this procedure, the surgeon makes small incisions (cuts) and uses a small hook to grasp the abnormal vein, pull it though the incision, and remove it. This procedure is performed in an operating room.

Risk Factors

Vein problems can occur for a variety of reasons. Common factors that lead to DVT include:

Pregnancy, or having recently given birth
Sitting still for long periods of time
Injury, particularly a broken leg, hip or pelvis
Certain inherited blood-clotting disorders
Damaged veins from an autoimmune condition, injury, or surgery
Being over 50 years old

Common factors that may lead to varicose veins include:

Family history of varicose veins
Being overweight
Pregnancy
Standing for long periods of time
Being over 50 years old

Diagnosis

Depending on your condition, you may experience:

Bulging veins in your legs
Pain and cramping in your legs
Swollen legs
Wounds on your legs that won’t heal
Discolored skin

To diagnose vein disease, your doctor will examine your legs. Additionally, ultrasound may be used to view the blood flow in your veins.

Treatment

Your BH vascular specialist will work closely with you to determine your diagnosis and the best treatment for you.

Many of these treatment options are minimally invasive — which means you’ll have less pain and faster healing. You will get back to your daily activities more quickly.

Treatment options include:

Sclerotherapy is used to treat spider and varicose veins. During this procedure, your doctor injects a solution into your veins. This causes the vessels to collapse and eventually fade away.
Vein stripping and ligation is used to treat varicose veins and symptoms of CVI. During this surgery, your doctor will tie off your vein, then remove it. It’s usually done using minimally invasive surgery called a venous ablation.
Endovenous ablation is a less invasive procedure that treats spider and varicose veins. Laser or radio frequency is used to seal off the veins.
Phlebectomy is a minimally invasive procedure. Your doctor removes varicose veins that are close to your skin surface.
VenaSeal is a new and minimally invasive option for treating varicose veins. During this procedure, your doctor will use special medical glue to close the vein.