In August 2015, Dr. Felipe Collares, Medical Director of Mass Vein Care, HMFP and Co-Director of the Vascular Lab at BIDMC, received the de Groot Award from the American College of Phlebology which allowed him to travel to Berlin, Germany and Bergen, Norway to learn specific and advanced techniques in VenaSeal, a procedure that uses glue to treat venous insufficiency and varicose veins. This procedure, performed in Europe for a few years and recently FDA approved in the US, has advantages over the current thermal ablation options: no need of tumescent anesthesia during the procedure or post-procedure use of compression stockings. Dr. Collares participated in several procedures using this technique and we are pleased to announce that he is the first physician in the Boston metro area to treat a patient with VenaSeal. Congratulations Dr. Collares!

Visible veins are often fed by veins that are working improperly deep within the skin, this condition is called venous insufficiency. These “deep” veins can only be seen with ultrasound technology and are not visible to the naked eye. In cases where there is an underlying problem, cosmetic treatment with sclerotherapy will fail. Besides disappointment, this results in wasted time and out-of-pocket expense for the patient with no long- term results. In some situations, treatment with sclerotherapy can even be unsafe if the underlying anatomy of the veins is unknown.

So the question is, do you really know what lies beneath the surface? Ultrasound screenings are the best option to really understand and see visually what lies beneath your skin. If you have experienced sclerotherapy treatment but have failed to feel an improvement in your overall leg quality, it might be time to revisit a vein professional and get a better understanding of your vein condition.

Mass Vein Care offers free ultrasound screenings to people interested in treatment options for their veins. These free screenings involve checking for venous insufficiency through ultrasound technique along with a walk through of treatment options best for the patient’s veins. These free screenings have been helpful to people that have had symptoms of leg aching, heaviness, and throbbing, which often comes as a symptom of venous insufficiency. Know what is under the surface of your varicose veins, and make sure you are getting the right option for your vein treatment!