FAQs Archives | IVC Interventional Vascular and Vein Center

August 12, 2011

Stasis ulcers are open wounds on the medial or lateral portion of the calf or foot that are at risk of infection. They may take a long time to heal and they may need the assistance of a podiatrist or wound clinic to help them […]

What are Perforator Veins?

July 29, 2011

A perforator vein is a small vein that connects the deep and superficial systems together. They are usually short in length and have only a few valves in them. They can have reflux just like other veins in the legs. These small connector veins run […]

How long will my treatment plan take?

July 13, 2011

Every patient at IVC is unique. Therefore, everyone is not going to be the same. Most patients will have a treatment plan that will take anywhere from 6 to 8 weeks up to 14 to 16 weeks depending on how many veins need treatment. The […]

Why must I have an ultrasound after every procedure?

July 6, 2011

It is very important to utilize ultrasound after each procedure to check the areas that have been treated for two things. First, we are checking the area of treatment for successful vein closure. Second, we are looking for any problems or complications from the procedure, […]

What Are Varicoceles?

May 25, 2011

Varicoceles are a relatively common condition (affecting approximately 10 percent of men) that tend to occur in young men, usually during the second or third decade of life. Sometimes these varicoceles cause no symptoms and are harmless, but sometimes a varicocele can cause pain, atrophy […]

What Is Pelvic Congestion Syndrome?

April 22, 2011

There are many different causes of pelvic pain, but sometimes it is related to the existence of ovarian and pelvic varicose veins. Varicose veins are a result of valves in the veins that don’t work correctly. Valves are designed to help veins return blood to […]

What should I address first, my pelvis or my legs?

April 7, 2011

Often times our female patients have both leg varicose veins and pelvic varicose veins. Although these veins are in different locations both sources can be symptomatic to the patient. The question then becomes “which do I treat first?” The problematic veins although similar in […]

What Should I Expect After Ambulatory Phlebectomy?

March 14, 2011

Patients will often experience significant bruising, significant redness and a feeling of warmth in the areas of treatment. These issues will typically resolve within one to two weeks. You may also experience bleeding from a phlebectomy site. This can be quite significant. If you encounter […]

Will My Sclerotherapy Procedure Be Painful?

January 27, 2011

Sclerotherapy uses ultrasound guidance to inject a medication into veins, causing scarring to occur and closing the vein permanently. This procedure is routinely used at IVC and patients want to know how this procedure compares to EndoVenous Thermal Ablation (EVTA) as far as pain caused […]

Why do I see so many different doctors during the course of my treatment?

January 17, 2011

At IVC we currently have 7 different doctors that treat varicose veins. All of them are Interventional Radiologist. They are radiologist in the classic sense that read X-rays and MRI’s, but they have also done additional training to do minimally invasive procedures that use various […]

Is it safe to close down veins? Don’t you need those veins?

December 30, 2010

Often times when we are talking to patients about closing down their problematic varicose veins we will get asked “are you sure you can close down those veins?” or “doesn’t my body need those veins, are you going to make things worse?” When treating varicose […]

Why can’t all my Varicose Veins be treated in one session?

December 16, 2010

Often patients want to know why all of their procedures for varicose veins cannot be done all in one setting. At IVC we understand that it would be more convenient for some patients to have all the procedures done at once, but there are a […]

Will My EVTA Procedures Hurt?

November 8, 2010

One of the most frequent questions asked is will the procedures hurt. This is often a difficult question to answer, because everyone experiences pain differently. There are some patients that report no pain after the procedure and for some patients the pain can be significant. […]

What should I expect after sclerotherapy?

September 23, 2010

After sclerotherapy patients will often encounter some focal tenderness at the injection sites and along the course of the treated vein. This will feel like a bruise and can last for up to one month after the procedure. Hard lumps are also associated with the […]

Why veins in the feet are are not treated.

September 11, 2010

In the feet there is very little muscle and fat tissue surrounding the veins. The arteries, veins and nerves are all very close together in the feet. With all of these vessels being in very close proximity there is a high risk of causing problems […]

How do you determine which veins to treat?

August 20, 2010

In addition to obtaining a detailed medical history and physical examination, we perform a comprehensive ultrasound evaluation that will help identify the sources of venous disease. The comprehensive ultrasound will be very detailed and will evaluate the deep system for any blood clots or other […]