Page 23 - Digital Version For Web SDW Bridal 2015 (2)

Show off those Beautiful Legs Again with the

Help of Dr. Stefan Moldovan

As the saying goes, 'Beauty is in the Eyes of the Beholder' but as
women we often have body issues that bother us. These issues are
often not even noticed by others. Sometimes we find that we alter
our lives significantly based on this body issue. Remember how
much you loved putting on a pretty dress for an event, but now you
find yourself reaching for pants whenever you can?
Women who suffer with Varicose or Spider Veins find themselves
doing this often, because they have not been made aware of how
easy and relatively painless the treatment is to get rid of this
nagging problem. On top of this, most insurance carriers cover this
procedure completely, so cost does not have to be a deterrent.
I had the pleasure of discussing this matter with esteemed
Vascular Surgeon Dr. Stefan Moldovan. Since varicose veins are
not considered a popular ailment we don’t often see articles or TV
commercials about it, but over 25 million Americans suffer from
vascular disease and 72% of women and 42% of men will experi-
ence varicose vein symptoms by the age of 60.
Women often will go to the doctor due to the unsightly veins on
their legs. Sometimes they have no pain or other symptoms they
are just looking to get rid of the marks that they find undesir- If you have a big event coming up in your life, like a wedding, honeymoon
able. Men who have the same marks will often ignore them and only go or special vacation, and the thought of putting on a shorter dress, or
to the doctor should they have pain associated with the varicose veins. slipping into a bathing suit horrifies you (due to varicose veins) then
I asked Dr. Moldovan what the symptoms were that we should be on the take some time to make an appointment to see Dr. Moldovan. Keep in
lookout for that would warrant treatment. He responded, “Symptoms mind that as these venous marks did not happen overnight, they will not
of varicose vein disease are: leg pain, fatigue, heaviness, restless legs, go away overnight either. So allow sufficient time for healing. Also if
burning, and cramping. These symptoms can be accompanied by skin pig- you have a problem in both legs, the treatment, must be given to one
mentation, leg swelling, and the presence of varicosities. It is important leg at a time, and when treatment is first done the area will look worse
to know that one can have no visible varicosities in the legs but can have before it looks better. ,
symptoms of varicose vein disease as mentioned previously. If you ex- Insurance generally covers full treatment but will sometimes require
perience any of these symptoms make an appointment to Inquire about you be treated with compression stockings first as a conservative
treatment options. All the treatments are minimally invasive and done measure. Dr. Moldovan indicates that the medical literature has shown
in our office. The first step in evaluating somebody with venous disease that compression socks help to improve some of the symptoms, but do
is to do a venous ultrasound. This is a necessary test since it will allow nothing to actually treat the disease. A comprehensive treatment based
us to find out the cause of the varicose veins. If the varicose veins are on imaging studies as outlined earlier is required to cure the condition. San Diego
treated without treating, the underlying cause, you will find that the The best part about getting this treatment done is the very low rate Woman
varicose veins will return." of reoccurrence. The success rate for the procedures employed by
The underlying cause for the formation of varicose veins is the condi- Dr. Moldovan’s office is 95% at the five year mark. An amazing statis-
tion known as Superficial Venus Reflux. Normally, one-way valves in tic. This of course is based on the fact that the patient has followed
veins keep blood flowing from the periphery of the body toward the the doctor’s medical plan that is designed based on the results of the 23
heart—against the force of gravity. When the valves fail and do not venous ultrasound.
perform their function, blood can flow backwards or reflux. This reflux If you are unhappy with the visible varicose or spider veins, or are in
results in what is known as venous insufficiency, a very common condi- constant pain by the end of the day needing to get off your feet due
tion that results in the pooling of blood in veins that become large and to fatigue and heaviness, even without any visible varicosities, you may
tortuous. It also results in all the symptoms mentioned above. So it is have venous disease. Knowing that this
very important to treat the reflux in order to resolve the symptoms painful debilitating
and decrease the chances of having recurrent varicosities. The venous problem can be easily
ultrasound provides insight into how severe the problem is, which veins fixed with a few
are affected, and what method to use to treat the problem. As Dr. office visits and minor
Moldovan adds, “Ultrasound will tell me if there is a problem beyond the discomfort is a life
visible, where the problem is, and how to formulate a treatment plan. If changing situation
we just inject or remove large varicosities without treating the underly- for anyone who has
ing cause the varicosities will likely come back in the future. If someone suffered with these
has small veins or spider veins and no symptoms of venous insufficiency issues. Contact
they can be treated with injections only. Dr. Stefan Moldovan
The venous reflux can be treated with either radiofrequency or laser for more information
technology. Radiofrequency works best long term and is less painful. It and to schedule an
makes the vein clot and changes the collagen content of the vein walls. appointment.
In our office we offer both technologies. Since all treatments are done (760) 739 - 7666
in the office setting and do not require hospitalization the procedures
can be done as an outpatient and requires little recovery time.
Of course one of my main questions for Dr. Moldovan was how do you
avoid varicose or spider veins in the first place? “Unfortunately, there
is really no way to avoid varicose or spider veins. For the most part
they are hereditary, but it has been seen that individuals who have jobs
which involve standing for long periods of time or those who are obese
are more likely to acquire vein issues.”
What are the signs to look for, aside from the visible varicose veins and
spider veins? “If you have cramping, swelling in the ankles, pigmentation
changes, leg fatigue or heaviness, and restless leg syndrome, you should
consult a physician.”