Wendell Worthington of Statesville walked into Dr. Scott Baker's office on Healy Drive in Winston-Salem for varicose vein treatment and left 45 minutes later. No recovery time.
Worthington said he did not feel any pain during or after his procedure.
"I walked out and got in the car," he said.
He does have to wear surgical compression stockings — he called them "pantyhose." But they aren't really so different from what he wore in his high school days as a wrestler.
"They were sort of like wrestling tights," he said. "That's how I logically put it in my mind."
To help his ulcers and varicose veins, Worthington recently had his initial outpatient VNUS Closure Procedure treatment at the Vein Clinic of North Carolina.
The treatment is a form of endovenous thermal ablation, which has been performed for about 10 years. But Baker said he believes he is the only doctor in the Winston-Salem area who does the procedure, which is quick and involves no down time and no scarring.
Baker has been in practice since 1988 and has treated vein problems exclusively for about the past five years.
More than 80 million Americans suffer some form of vein disorders, according to the American College of Phlebology. Some people use treatments for cosmetic improvement, but many just want relief from pain.
Venus reflux disease, or "leaky" valves in legs, develops when valves that keep blood flowing out of the legs and back to the heart become damaged or diseased. The valves don't close properly, producing varicose veins, pain, swelling, heaviness in legs and ulcers. Baker said about 20 percent of women and 10 percent of men develop leaky valves in some of the larger veins in their legs.
The technology Baker used to treat Worthington involves inserting a small catheter or tube into a damaged vein. Heat is delivered inside the vein, which causes it to collapse and close.
There are two methods used for this minimally invasive treatment — lasers and radio frequency using electrical current. The VNUS Closure Procedure offers radio frequency.
Dr. John Mauriello, a physician in Bradenton, Fla., and the president of the American College of Phlebology in San Leandro, Calif., said endovenous thermal ablation has become the treatment of choice over the vein stripping surgical procedure.
"It's usually done in an office setting," Mauriello said. "A patient has the procedure and 45 minutes later they walk out of the office, and they go back the next day to their normal activities."
Baker said, "The limitations are just to avoid lifting over about 30 pounds for a short time, and we have them wear surgical compression stockings."
The cost to insurance companies varies, depending on the company, but is typically $2,000, Baker said, and the patient's responsibility can be zero or more.
"The only way to know is to have an evaluation," he said.
A lot of people who suffer from varicose veins do not get treatment, for various reasons.
Some know only about vein stripping surgery and fear that older, more invasive procedures will be painful and require a long recovery. They may think treatment isn't covered by insurance, Baker said, but it often is if it's medically necessary.
Vicki Lynch of Kernersville was treated for venous reflux disease in the summer of 2010 after going to Baker for help with spider veins and pain in her legs.
"My spider veins were so bad that people would come up to me and ask me, 'What has happened to your leg? It looks like somebody has kicked you,'" Lynch said.
Now, her legs are free of the bruises, swelling and pain she experienced.
"They look wonderful," Lynch said.
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