Benefis - Vein Center

Vein Center

Endovenous Laser Treatment (EVLT)
Dr. Roberto Amado-Cattaneo is a leading expert in Endovenous Laser Treatment (EVLT) for varicose veins.

Show Your Legs Again!
This safe, in-office procedure usually takes less than an hour. Patients walk out of the office with a bandage, and typically return to normal activities after just a few days. Laser-treated veins disappear as they are absorbed into the body. Dr. Amado-Cattaneo also offers spider vein treatment using lasers and sclerotherapy.

Varicose Vein Brochure - Click here to download

Varicose Vein advertisement - Click here to download

EVLT (Endovenous Laser Treatment) brochureClick here to download

Benefits of the procedure

State-of-the-art laser treatment
No incisions or scars
Quick return to normal activities
Procedure takes about one hour
Procedure performed in the doctor's office
Covered by most insurances & Medicare

Facts about varicose veins
Sufferers are in good company. Varicose veins afflict more than 50 million Americans, an estimated 40 percent of women and 25 percent of men.

There are a number of factors which lead to varicose veins, including:

Heredity- One of the most important factors. If your parents and grandparents had the problem, you are at increased risk.
Gender- Women are three times more likely to develop varicose veins than men.
Pregnancy- Blood volume increases during pregnancy and hormonal effects contribute to vein enlargement.
Age- The tissues of our vein walls lose elasticity as we age causing the valve system to fail.

The following additional factors, while not directly causing varicose veins, may speed up the development of this disease and make the veins worse: eliminate varicose veins

Prolonged standing
Obesity
Hormone levels
Physical trauma

What causes Varicose Veins?
To combat the force of gravity, veins have valves that prevent blood from running backward, away from the heart. When the valves grow weak from age or excessive pressure they don't shut tightly and the blood falls backward. As the blood pools, the veins become swollen and painful. The bulging, blue or purple streaks may appear anywhere from the groin to the ankle. The greater saphenous vein, which runs up the inside of the leg, is most commonly affected.

Take these measures to prevent varicose veins and, if you have them, relieve discomfort.

Exercise regularly, walking is ideal.
Avoid standing for long periods of time.
Avoid sitting for long periods of time.
Maintain a healthy weight.

Your varicose veins may need treatment if you experience:

Pain or aching
Heaviness
Tiredness
Burning
Swelling
Throbbing
Tenderness around the vein

How does the treatment procedure work?
Endovenous Laser Treatment for varicose veins, or EVLT, is an office procedure that usually takes less than an hour. First, a small catheter with a laser tip is introduced through a needle and passed up the length of the vein. The laser is fired inside the vein, which delivers laser energy that is converted to heat. The heat injures the vein wall, causing it to collapse. The damaged vein then disappears as it is absorbed into the body. Smaller veins can often removed at the same time through tiny incisions, a procedure called mini phlebectomies. The patient's legs are bandaged for two days, after which they can resume normal activities.

To learn more about EVLT, visit AngioDynamics or Diomed.

Roberto Amado-Cattaneo, MD, F.A.C.S. is;

Board Certified by the American Board of Thoracic Surgery
Fellow American College of Surgeons
Member of the American College of Phlebology
Member of the American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery
Member of the Society of Thoracic Surgeons.
Member of the International Society of Endovascular Specialists

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