Getting a Leg Up on Vascular Surgery

                For some people, even the smallest pleasures are denied by varicose and spider veins. They can’t wear a pair of shorts in the heat of summer, throw on a swimsuit for an afternoon on the water, or  leave the house without their support stockings. For generations, these people have been told that they should just wear the stockings or face possibly painful vein stripping. While some who deal with varicose and spider veins simply struggle with the unattractive look and feel, the condition can cause severe pain and even leg ulcers. With nearly 80 million American adults facing this problem, the current solutions just weren’t good enough. Many doctors sought out new research, one of them was Lynchburg’s own, Dr. Jeffrey Widmeyer of Virginia Vein Center. He commented, “The way we were taught to do vein stripping was brutal. The procedure has been done the same way since the 1950s and it seems like it just gets pushed to the back burner in medical school.”

                41% of women ages 40-50 deal with varicose or spider veins and this percentage increases with age. Some deal with a constant aching, or a heavy sensation that can get so painful that it limits enjoyable activities and even the ability to work. Many also deal with spider veins that appear as red or purple sunbursts on the skin surface and can occur on the face, legs or ankles. They can ache or itch and can be found alone or in combination with varicose veins. Spider veins are not a health risk alone, but are often a cosmetic concern.

                Veins normally function to return blood to the heart and valves close after blood travels up the vein, preventing blood from backing up or refluxing down the vein. In the case of varicose veins, the valves can become abnormal or incompetent and cause the vein below to be exposed to higher pressure and can then dilate. This happens for a variety of reasons including trauma, pregnancy or hereditary factors. The condition can spread as other veins and valves nearby are exposed to the higher pressure and can also dilate. Varicose veins commonly appear on the legs as raised, often ropey enlarged veins.

                When searching for less evasive means of correcting varicose and spider veins, Dr Widmeyer was introduced to laser and radio frequency options that can effectively correct most cases with a simple outpatient procedure. He explained, “Using the heat from a laser filament or radio frequency, I can close down a vein from the inside and let it be reabsorbed into the body. The procedure is much less traumatic to the leg.”

                With these procedures Dr Widmeyer offers, he is confident that varicose and spider veins don’t have to be a problem anymore. “We are now able to handle almost every aspect of vascular care here in Lynchburg. To have the state-of-the-art arterial and vascular procedures you don’t have to leave town.”

                While some practices only feature either the laser or radio frequency options, Dr Widmeyer offers both. “I have found that insurance companies usually cover one or the other. They are interchangeable tools and both work equally well, so I have both machines to insure I can use the procedure that is required by the patient’s insurance.

                Originally from Roanoke, Dr. Widmeyer studied and did his residency in Richmond. “The family atmosphere of small town and the chance to be closer to home” brought him to Lynchburg and he has been practicing with Seven Hills Surgical Associates since 1998. He is board certified in general surgery and has a certificate of added qualification in vascular surgery. Thanks to the new procedures he has brought to the area, Virginia Vein Center provides state-of-the-art diagnostic evaluation and minimally invasive treatment of vein disorders ranging from the smallest spider veins to the largest, most severe varicose veins. For more information visit them at www.virginiaveincenter.com or call 434-847-LEGS.