Vein Treatments
There are two primary methods for addressing unwanted leg veins.
The most traditional way is through a technique called sclerotherapy. This involves injecting a small amount of an irritating substance into the inside of the unwanted vein. Substances used in our office include hypertonic saline and sotradecol.
Hypertonic saline uses osmotic irritation to cause water to leave the cells lining the inside of the vessel, resulting in damage to the lining of the vessel. When used in conjunction with compression, this results in the sealing of the vessel walls to one another, minimizing the appearance of the vessel. There is no associated risk of allergic reaction with the saline, so many people opt for this treatment due to its safety.
A newer treatment involves the use of a 1064 nm long pulsed NdYAG laser. It works to heat the hemoglobin in the vessels, causing damage to the inner lining of the blood vessel. We utilize the Cutera® CoolGlide Excel vascular laser to treat leg veins—this is an excellent laser which provides skin contact cooling while being treated to help diminish any discomfort.
Dr. Cassel will assess your leg veins, discuss possible therapies and determine which therapies are best for you. She may utilize a combination approach of sclerotherapy and vascular laser in order to best treat your vascular disease. Most patients require between 3-4 treatments whether they use the sclerotherapy or the vascular laser treatments.
It is important that after either treatment you use compression hose to help hold the vessels flat so that the walls of the vessel seal together. This helps with the efficacy of the treatment and may eliminate an extra treatment. Dr. Cassel recommends that you use the compression hose (15-20 mmHg pressure) when upright for the first 2 weeks post treatment.
Before Your Visit
Please be sure to bring a list of all medications and allergies. If you are covered by an insurance plan that requires prior authorization, the authorization or referral form must be presented to our office before or at the time of your appointment. It is your responsibility to obtain necessary referrals. If you don’t have one, we will ask you to sign a waiver stating you are responsible for the bill. Payment will then be expected at the time of service. Please bring your insurance cards to each visit so the information can be checked and a copy placed in your chart.
Financial Information
Your insurance coverage is an agreement between you and your insurance company. Financial responsibility rests with the patient for deductibles, co-insurances, and non-covered services. Insurance coverage is a variable, and we cannot guarantee what services will be covered by your particular plan. We request that you sign an authorization form, which will enable us to receive insurance payments directly when applicable. Co-payments are due at the time of service. For your convenience, we accept personal checks, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express, and cash.
A no-show fee of $50.00 will be charged to patients who fail to appear for their appointment and provide less than 24 hours' notice of cancellation.
Pathology, Labs, and X-rays
Surgical specimens are sent to a laboratory for analysis. The fee for this is a separate charge from the office visit and may be billed directly by the processing lab. Results are usually available 7-10 days after the test has been performed. Questions regarding payments for laboratory services should be directed to the laboratory.
Prescription Refills
Prescription refill requests will be taken only during regular office hours.