Vein Center at Iowa Heart offers latest technologies

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

DES MOINES, Iowa - Varicose veins are much more than a cosmetic nuisance - in fact, they can have a detrimental impact on your entire circulatory system. That's why the Vein Center at Iowa Heart takes them so seriously.

"Our society tends to view varicose veins as a cosmetic issue," says Dr. Robert Zeff, M.D., the medical director of the Vein Center at Iowa Heart. "But varicose veins - and other vein diseases - can have a serious and detrimental impact on your circulatory system - an impact that can increase over time."

Varicose veins occur when the valves inside the veins weaken, allowing the blood being pumped back to the heart to pool in the veins, stretching the vein walls and creating the rope-like appearance commonly associated with the condition. Left untreated, varicose veins can lead to a range of more serious circulatory problems including blood clots, leg ulcers and poor circulation.

There are many causes for varicose veins but the leading culprit is heredity. While the incidence of vein disease is slightly higher in women than in men, it does affect about 50 percent of people age 50 and older.

"If you want your legs to last into your 90s," Zeff says, "you need to take care of them in your 40s and 50s."

In years gone by, the only treatments for varicose veins were invasive and required extensive recovery.

But today at the Vein Center at Iowa Heart, it's easier than ever to take care of your legs with a quick in-office procedure using endovenous laser therapy, which has become the treatment of choice due to its precision, reliability and safety.

In this procedure, a small incision is made under local anesthetic and a very thin laser wire is inserted through the vein to the treatment location. When activated, the laser causes the diseased vein to close and blood flow is redirected by the body to other healthier veins. The procedure lasts less than one hour and, after treatment, patients can walk immediately and return to normal activity.

"Endovenous laser therapy is very patient-friendly" Zeff explains. "It is done right in the office and the results are excellent."