Varicose Veins Care in Iowa

Sclerotherapy uses a soapy foam material called sodium tetradecyl sulfate to close off the diseased vein. This substance is injected into the vein using a needle, and the soap irritates the inside of the vessel causing it to collapse or clot. The vein is then scarred shut by the body. Once the damaged vein is closed, the tiny surface vessels are not as visible and the large, deeper veins cause fewer problems. There are several types of sclerotherapy. Ultrasound sclerotherapy is used for the larger deeper vessels that cannot be seen with a vein light or the naked eye. Vein Light Sclerotherapy is used for smaller vessels that are closer to the skin surface. Microscope-Assisted Sclerotherapy and Veinlite assisted sclerotherapy treats the tiniest vessels close to the skin surface and The re*be Vein Clinic is one of the first clinics in the country using this technique! Following sclerotherapy, we encourage you to wear prescription support stockings because these seem to make the treatment more effective. Repeat sclerotherapy sessions can be necessary and additional treatments will be recommended if new abnormal veins appear. Physical activity is encouraged and there are very few restrictions on the things you can do after these treatments. Bruising, staining, pain and scarring are not common; however, if they occur, they rarely last beyond several months. Endovenous Laser Ablation Treatment (EVLA) uses laser light to seal the diseased vein shut. Using a small needle, a laser fiber is inserted directly into a varicose vein and is carefully positioned using the assistance of ultrasound. Precise, rapid pulses of laser light heat up the inside of the vein causing it to close off. EVLA is done in the clinic under local anesthesia and physical activity is encouraged after the procedure. In fact, many patients will drive to work and finish their shifts after EVLA without the help of pain medication! This is truly a marvelous advance in vein treatment, and laser ablation therapy is rapidly becoming an excellent alternative to surgical vein stripping. Following EVLA, compression stockings must be worn for two to three weeks. Follow-up sclerotherapy sessions complete the procedure and reduce the chance of the varicose veins coming back. An ambulatory phlebectomy is done to remove larger veins just under the surface with small incisions. This procedure can sometimes be done at the time of an endovenous laser ablation procedure and sometimes is done several weeks later. The phlebectomy wounds generally heal with minimal discomfort and can avoid the difficulties associated with a large vein clot being present for several weeks or months just under the skin. The surgeons at re*be® will advise you on their recommendations for treatment and will answer your questions.

Brief video about the laser ablation procedure at re*be®

This is a short video showing the basics of an endovenous laser ablation procedure and how we do it at the re*be® Vein Clinic in Okoboji, Iowa. This results in increased circulatory efficiency and reduces the symptoms of chronic varicose vein disease. The image is of a laser indicator beam showing red at the tip of the glass laser fiber. The laser allows us to close the vein under local anesthesia from the inside of the vein. This is a huge improvement over the historical standard technique of vein stripping. Many patients are able to drive themselves two and from the clinic for the procedure. Many have returned to work immediately.

Most insurance plans will cover the procedures offered at The re*be® Vein Clinic, including sclerotherapy, ambulatory phlebectomy, and laser ablation therapy, as long as they are considered medically necessary. Smaller Spider Veins treatment and sclerotherapy done on veins that do not cause symptoms are deemed cosmetic procedures and will not be covered by insurance; however, we do offer these cosmetic procedures at re*be. Treatment of large symptomatic varicose veins is almost always medically necessary and we expect it to be covered by your insurance if you meet their requirements for coverage.

An easy way to determine if your desired treatments are medically necessary or cosmetic is to set up a free vein screening at The re*be® Vein Clinic today!

The re*be® Vein Clinic participates in the majority of the insurance plans covering the local area. To see if your plan is covered, call us or visit our website for an updated list. Often times, money set aside in health savings accounts can be used for many of the procedures we offer at our clinic, however please check with your plan ahead of time before attempting to use those funds to cover expenses here.

Most insurance plans will cover varicose vein mapping procedures offered at The re*be® Vein Clinic. The physicians consultation and the duplex mapping examination is a most important first step to getting your veins treated properly. The duplex mapping study called a vein map at our clinic is used to figure out what veins need treatment and guide the doctors at re*be® through the laser procedures. re*be® is one of only a very few independent clinics in Iowa that is certified by ICAVL for vascular diagnostic examinations.