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PLASTIC SURGERY NEWS, SURGERY NEWS, COSMETIC SURGERY NEWS Dcember 2004 NEWS  |
Patent Pending Varicose Vein Treatment Delivers Pain Free Method
It is estimated that as many as 50 million people in the United States have varicose veins, 90 percent of whom are women. To many, these twisted, discolored veins are just a cosmetic problem or something that causes a little discomfort. But all varicose veins have the potential for serious complications and therefore, should be examined by a specialist. Dr. Heshmat Majlessi, a vascular surgeon and director of the Rye Vein - Laser Center in Rye and the Park Avenue Vein Center in Manhattan. Dr. Majlessi is also the author of the new consumer book "Perfect Legs." Dr. Majlessi is a member of the American and British Phlebology Societies and adapted his techniques of treating varicose veins from Dr. George Fegan of England, a pioneer in the field.
He is skeptical of common methods of treating varicose veins because he says they do not usually cure the problem but just treat the symptoms. Complications from varicose veins cause about $2 billion in annual health care costs to the U.S. economy.
Dr. Majlessi has developed an exclusive patent pending course of instrument that the FDA has given him permission to use for varicose veins. This Harvester Technique has the advantages of being performed in-office, it takes approximately 20 minutes, no major anesthesia or pain medication, no downtime, and near perfect legs at the completion of treatment. This allows the doctor to treat the worst varicose veins quickly and virtually pain free and then complete the treatment of smaller veins in a subsequent step.
The second phase of Dr. Majlessi's unique treatment involves Comprehensive Compression Sclerotherapy (CCS). The basic concept behind this second stage is to create an almost perfect leg by permanently sealing all of the smaller leaks and veins in the lower leg. Left over Spider veins can be treated at the same time. CCS is different from traditional Sclerotherapy in that it is intended to close the responsible leaks replacing them with the patient's own healthy scar tissue (collagen fibers) permanently. The key component of the CCS treatment is the examination before the injections to identify all of the responsible perforators.
As Dr. Majlessi explains, "There are about 60-70 potential leaks in each leg which can result in varicose veins. These so called incompetent valves can be anywhere from the groin to the ankle areas, and they can be located anywhere in the front or back of the leg. With other methods of varicose vein treatment such as stripping (see more below) only the obvious, twisted veins are removed. In a great number of patients treated with stripping the true source of the problem is not identified or removed. If the source of a patient's varicose veins is left intact, they are sure to recur."
The first step Dr. Majlessi takes is to examine the patient and identify the source(s) of the varicose veins in the affected leg(s). All of the leaks have to be carefully sealed so all of the veins are marked in order to be checked at a later visit to make sure they are completely sealed.
The next step is to inject the site with salt solution, immediately compress the area with special pads and keep them sealed with a stocking. The basic premise is to keep the injected veins closed until all varicose veins and leaks are completely and permanently sealed. The good news is that unlike with other modalities patients are not restricted from normal activity and Dr. Majlessi encourages them to be active which actually lowers the pressure in the veins.
Patients are followed up regularly for several weeks to complete the treatment and remove any possible trapped fluid in the treated veins. This is a critical part of the cosmetic care of the leg. If this fluid is absorbed, it would causestaining of the skin.
For More Information Please visit http://www.perfectleg.com
Dr. Majlessi's book, Perfect Legs, is available on http://www.amazon.com
