An estimated 6 to 7 million people in the United States suffer from varicose veins, the more serious form of vein disease, and chronic venous insufficiency.
At The Plastic Surgery Center, renowned vascular surgeon Dr. Jonathan Weiswasser treats an array of venous disorders, including reticular veins, spider veins, and varicose veins. He is also highly skilled and experienced in the treatment of chronic venous insufficiency, a disease in which blood does not properly return from the legs. Dr. Weiswasser’s proficiency in minimally invasive endovascular techniques makes him successful in treating varicose veins, venous stasis ulcer, and other venous disorders in the legs and arms.
Q&A with Dr. Weiswasser
Q: What is a venous disorder?
A: A venous disorder is any disorder in which someone’s veins function in a way that leads to pain or other adverse conditions. For example, varicose veins occur because of a disorder in the way that certain veins carry blood back to your body from your feet. Other examples of venous disorders are spider veins, which tend to be a result of genetics and environment, and blood clots in the deep veins of the legs.
Q: Why did you decide to become a vascular surgeon and treat vein disorders?
A: I have been a vascular surgeon for 23 years. Vascular Surgery, as a discipline, includes the treatment of blood vessels outside of the heart and brain. This includes the venous as well as the arterial system.
For the first half of my career, I was engaged in lifesaving as well as limb-saving treatments, an endeavor I found challenging and rewarding. At the same time, there were significant advances being made in the treatment of venous disorders. These advances allowed treatment to go from large, hospital-based procedures with terrible outcomes, to minimally invasive, office-based procedures with terrific outcomes.
I decided to dedicate my career to the advancement of these newer procedures for vein disorders and I have found treating patients with vein disorders to be particularly rewarding. Unlike many other types of surgery, vascular surgery and specifically vein surgery offers patients the opportunity for a cure. As a practitioner, that kind of satisfaction is second-to-none.
Q: What kind of special training was required to become a vascular surgeon?
A: After receiving a BA in Molecular Biology at Northwestern, I attended NYU School of Medicine for four years. Following medical school, I stayed at NYU for a residency in General Surgery. During that time, I added two years of clinical and basic science research in liquid ventilation and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation at Columbia University, which brought my residency length to seven years. I followed that with a fellowship at NYU in Vascular Surgery for one year.
Q: How long have you been performing these procedures?
A: I have been performing these procedures since 2003. I was the first surgeon in Washington, D.C. to perform an endovenous vein ablation. I was also the first surgeon in the tri-state area to perform a Vena-seal procedure, a newer form of chemical venous ablation that has many advantages over traditional treatment.
Q: How are spider veins treated?
A: Sclerotherapy, which simply means ‘shutting down a vein’, is the primary technique we use to treat spider veins. There are many forms of ‘sclero’, including injection and laser sclerotherapy.
Q: How are varicose veins treated?
A: Our procedures are performed in an outpatient setting. Most procedures take about 45 minutes using local anesthesia and without any incisions. You will walk out the same day and resume your normal activities. There are several treatment modalities we use, all of which are safe and very effective. Typically, varicose veins are treated with a procedure called a vein ablation.
Q: Can varicose veins be prevented?
A: Varicose veins are often hereditary. However, things like walking regularly, maintaining a healthy weight, and wearing compression stockings can be helpful in preventing varicose veins from forming.
Q: What do you think the future of vein treatments will be? What advances do you expect?
A: I expect to see further advances in the treatment of spider veins and varicose veins. A lot is also being done in the area of advanced venous insufficiency and I expect to see advancement in the minimally invasive treatment of these disorders in the coming years.
Contact our office today to schedule a consultation:
844-920-0212
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