varicose veins

[MizTink]

anybody have experience or knowledge with removal??

 

[low-key]

pic

 

[MizTink]

ewww

 

[Christine]

My friend had it done last year and someone on this board (or two people) did also. There was a thread on it. What do you want to know? I know it wasn't as bad as she thought it was going to be. Took her awhile before her leg felt "normal" and her's is not completely invisible now but I think she had one of the worst ones out there.

 

[MizTink]

well i was wondering which procedures people have used, how painful it it, what the end results are like, and COST!! insurance doesn't cover it.
the doc i saw only suggested i method but i can't remember what it was called. he would do it in the office, local anesthesia, small incisions every couple inches, use a "hook" to pull vein out. said it would take several visits because most people can only tolerate it for a few minutes at a time. total cost was arount $1800
and i'm so fair skinned that i'm pretty sure each mark would leave a very noticeable purple scar. just what i want all over my legs!

 

[FINFAN]

I have technically have spider veins, but so many that I almost wish fewer varicos were my issue. Apparently where I live every woman has had them removed becasue I do not see any, and I mean ANY women with the unsightly road maps I have for legs. I believe for insurance to cover proceedures you must first have a medical reason, such as blood flow going the wrong way, valves not opening/closing corrctly (which according to ultrasounds I have)or another documented issue. If youinsurance does cover these issues, around here injection or laser treatments run about $250-$400 a treatment, and many cases can be 8-10 (or upwards of 30) treatments for existing veins/clusters. Now, the key word here is existing. If you have a valve issue like me, getting existing veins zapped is only a temp fix, and the blood will start to pool elswhere and form new clusters. There is also the risk, tho from what I have been told it is small, but clots can form and they tend to travel upward. Now, clots can form without any treatments as well, so just an overall nasty side effect for those of us who sffer from V or spider veins. We have a treatment center literally 3 blocks away and my ins may cover a portion of my treatments, but I just cannot get past the clot issue. I know my legs are awful, I live in capri's, love the beach/pool but avoid it these days ...went river rafting this summer and was mortified to be in public in shorts...however, I still prefer knowing that I did not intentionally send a blood clot up toward my heart due to being vain (pun intended) about my legs. On the other side , the swelling, aching, bending and fact that my legs are getting worse may force the issue. I will be 50 in July and my legs caus eme to limit myself at times, more like an 80 year old. Bottom line? I would figure about $5,000 OOP for initial treatments/removal and hope that goves you a few years relief. I am thinking maybe varicos is different, that once the vein is stripped or removed thenyou do not have the risk of it coming back the way spider veins do. I guess it comes down to overall health vs scarring. Me? For now I am in the "who on earth do I hide these?" stage...my DD's college graduation is this May in Sarasota...pretty sure cute spring dresses will be the norm attire (Art college) but there I will be in slacks and probably not even sandals as a cluster has formed on top of my left foot now-gross I know-however, I deal and know so many others have much larger health issues to live with. I would like to have a weekend at WDW tho, just once, for vein sufferers,,,just so I could wear shorts and not feel like I am scaring little children or offending others with my legs...or at least be in the company of others who are in the same boat. I am not kidding when I say no one has them where I live..believe me, I look. I hope you can get yours attended to to your liking..I know it would be life changing for me, just not in the budget or comfort zone completely for me yet. Looking forward to other opinions/posts about this .

 

[MizTink]

i'm the same with the spider veins. much worse than the one big varicose vein i have. both legs are terrible. i live in sarasota, and wear nothing but capris or long pants. and even then i hate it because some still show on my calf and lower. it sucks!
i have been to the emerg. room several times to stitch one area closed that has squirted blood uncontrollably. apparently that is still considered cosmetic too
and like the pp said, IT WOULD BE LIFE CHANGING to have these gone!

 

[MizTink]

oh, and i also look for other people with the same problems and never see it.
the only thing i can think is that they were smart enough to take care of the problem when if first started....

wish i could go on extreme makeover or something!!! lol

 

[Debbie7452]

I had my leg done. I had only one bad leg, but it was BAD. I mean large bulging veins from my thigh down to my calf. Mine caused aching and pain. My insurance covered the cost after deductible or I could not have afforded it. It ended up costing about $1000 out of pocket. I had to get the source vein closed by a laser procedure. Then a few weeks later I had to start having the bulging vein removed (the tiny incisions and hook thing). It took three visits to finish and I had to wait a few weeks in between each removal.

In order to get insurance approval I had to "try" fixing the problem with the compression stocking for 12 weeks. This doesn't actually fix anything, but they insisted on it. Truthfully, I didn't wear the stockings. I hate those things with a passion. I did need the stocking for after the procedure or I would not get a good outcome. It was worth all the trouble. I am pain free and have TWO healthy looking legs now. I do not have any noticeable scarring. I have a medium toned skin however. So it took 6 months to really get finished once I decided to do it. If you want to be done by summer, you'd better get started soon.

 

[Christine]

My friend's was big (from thigh to ankle) and was aching and burning. Because her's was moderate to severe, it was covered by insurance.

In her case, they went up into the vein with a laser and burned the vein as they pulled out. If she wanted, she could have gone out to have the collapsed vein removed (with the fish hook) but elected not to.

 

[MizTink]

it's summer year round here in sw florida!! that probably makes it even worse as so many people are practically naked everywhere!!! lol
i'm covered from ankle to up above my hip on one side (right), and not quite as bad, but still bad, on the other leg. tons of spider veins. and the backs of both knees are just big black blotches that look like bruises.
now i think i'm even getting a varicose vein in my ARM. and i also get "mystery" aches in my side too. all these are on my right side. could it be coincidence?

i went to 2 diff. vascular surgeons, had test done at both (cost me about $200 after ins.), only to be told that insurance wouldn't cover it. i had blue cross/blue shield at the time, but the office insisted that it wouldn't make a diff who i had as it would be cosidered cosmetic. i had my doubts, so i went to a diff practice for a second opinion and was told the same thing. even with constant swelling, pain, and even the bleeding issues. i figured after a couple expensive e.r. visits they would WANT to pay to have it taken care of, but nope!! i was in public one time that it happened and the business called an ambulance. they tried to stop the beeding, couldn't, so they wrapped it up good and i drove myself to the e.r. for stitches. that had to cost quite a bit too.

 

[Christine]

it's summer year round here in sw florida!! that probably makes it even worse as so many people are practically naked everywhere!!! lol
i'm covered from ankle to up above my hip on one side (right), and not quite as bad, but still bad, on the other leg. tons of spider veins. and the backs of both knees are just big black blotches that look like bruises.
now i think i'm even getting a varicose vein in my ARM. and i also get "mystery" aches in my side too. all these are on my right side. could it be coincidence?

i went to 2 diff. vascular surgeons, had test done at both (cost me about $200 after ins.), only to be told that insurance wouldn't cover it. i had blue cross/blue shield at the time, but the office insisted that it wouldn't make a diff who i had as it would be cosidered cosmetic. i had my doubts, so i went to a diff practice for a second opinion and was told the same thing. even with constant swelling, pain, and even the bleeding issues. i figured after a couple expensive e.r. visits they would WANT to pay to have it taken care of, but nope!! i was in public one time that it happened and the business called an ambulance. they tried to stop the beeding, couldn't, so they wrapped it up good and i drove myself to the e.r. for stitches. that had to cost quite a bit too.

Interesting. Your case sounds far more advanced than cosmetic. I agree that the spider veins will never be paid for; however, I find it odd that they won't cover the varicose veins. My friend also had Blue Cross/Blue Shield but I know it really comes down to what your employer, the one who subsribes to BC/BS, elects to pay and not BC/BS themselves.

 

[Debbie7452]

Blue Cross is who I am insured with. Sorry, I didn't notice you are in FL. I'm pretty far south myself, so I feel your pain. I would file an appeal if it were me. If you are having medical consequences than insurance should pay. It sounds worse than my aches and pains! I know they did have to submit ultrasounds showing a certain degree of bad blood flow through the vein.

 

[Buckalew11]

My sister had her veins stripped at age 18 or 19 back in the late 70's! She has little 1-2" purple scars all over both legs.

She has since had them laser-ed and injected and who know what else. She sees a vein specialist in Charleston (I believe) as she lives in SC.

She's now 51 and very thin (always was thin) because I think she believes kepping her weight down helps--pregnancies were a ***** for her.

Good luck to you! I truly think ins. should cover your veins.

 

[daisyx3]

I just have to say this: who are you covering up for? I have some spider veins, I'm 48...I don't think from your description mine are as bad, and admittedly I live in Ohio. I've had them for years and they are worse now, of course. But I'm still going to the pool in the summer and I'm still wearing shorts. We will be in Disney in 2 months and I'll be comfortable. If people don't like it, they don't have to look. Why do you make yourself miserable in case other people want to be judgemental? Live how you want to live!
Daisyx3

 

[Buckalew11]

I just have to say this: who are you covering up for? I have some spider veins, I'm 48...I don't think from your description mine are as bad, and admittedly I live in Ohio. I've had them for years and they are worse now, of course. But I'm still going to the pool in the summer and I'm still wearing shorts. We will be in Disney in 2 months and I'll be comfortable. If people don't like it, they don't have to look. Why do you make yourself miserable in case other people want to be judgemental? Live how you want to live!
Daisyx3

I have spider veins also. Obviously, this type thing runs in my family and I have been a hairdresser for 29 yrs. so on my feet all day.

There is a big difference between varicose veins and spider veins. My sister's veins looked like a 90 year old woman's at 18 years old!! Lumpy and bumpy, about an inch wide from her ****** to her feet. They are unsightly at their worst--I can see why the OP covers up. She does not have to but I can why she does.

 

[FINFAN]

It's been my experience that negative reactions are pretty much the norm not the "in case". Kids have pointed and made faces, you see women looking, remarking. Men look away , even physicians I have seen have commented on how "it is no way to live looking like that". Maybe if physical imperfections are ever displayed in images of models, successful people, sports figures...things might change. Maybe if Oprah had over done show about them, maybe if there weren't commercials on tv every hour about how unsightly and embarrassing they are...maybe if comments weren't made like, "Why don't you get those fixed?...Don't you CARE how you look?" situations like that are my norm and why I cope by hiding them. I also do not wany my kids or DH to be embarassed by being with the lady with the ugly legs, around me it is pretty much expected to get them fixed, and those who don't are perceived as lazy or uncaring about their looks. I have tried make up, tanning sprays you name it to try and tone them down, but it doesn't really help and I worry about ruining clothes or if it's really hot, sweating. I do think I should be more "no worries " about it tho...there are much bigger problems in the world.

 

[MizTink]

It's been my experience that negative reactions are pretty much the norm not the "in case". Kids have pointed and made faces, you see women looking, remarking. Men look away , even physicians I have seen have commented on how "it is no way to live looking like that". Maybe if physical imperfections are ever displayed in images of models, successful people, sports figures...things might change. Maybe if Oprah had over done show about them, maybe if there weren't commercials on tv every hour about how unsightly and embarrassing they are...maybe if comments weren't made like, "Why don't you get those fixed?...Don't you CARE how you look?" situations like that are my norm and why I cope by hiding them. I also do not wany my kids or DH to be embarassed by being with the lady with the ugly legs, around me it is pretty much expected to get them fixed, and those who don't are perceived as lazy or uncaring about their looks. I have tried make up, tanning sprays you name it to try and tone them down, but it doesn't really help and I worry about ruining clothes or if it's really hot, sweating. I do think I should be more "no worries " about it tho...there are much bigger problems in the world.

^^ EXACTLY......
and unfortunately i don't even have blue cross/blue shield anymore. now it's just horrible medicaid

 

[FINFAN]

^^ EXACTLY......
and unfortunately i don't even have blue cross/blue shield anymore. now it's just horrible medicaid

If my goal of ever living in FL comes true, I will move near you and we can go out to the beach, WDW...anywhere we want in shorts because we will have each other!

 

[MizTink]

If my goal of ever living in FL comes true, I will move near you and we can go out to the beach, WDW...anywhere we want in shorts because we will have each other!

LOL