Understanding Vein Disease
Vein disease is one of the most common conditions in the United States, affecting approximately 40% of women and 20% of men by the age of 50. In particular, 20-25 million Americans are estimated to have varicose veins. Mint offers state-of the art, NON-SURGICAL treatment options combined with shorter wait times, friendly staff, and a skilled medical team.
What are Varicose Veins
Varicose veins are a direct result of chronic venous insufficiency (CVI) and are enlarged, “ropey-looking” veins in the legs that lie just below the skin. CVI occurs when diseased or damaged one-way valves in the veins allow blood to flow backwards. As a result, blood pools in the leg, the vein walls get weak, and they swell and enlarge, becoming varicose veins. In addition to being unattractive and painful, varicose veins can cause other symptoms such as: achiness, swelling, and skin changes. Spider veins are similar to varicose veins with the exception of their small size and proximity to the skin’s surface.
Symptoms of Chronic Venous Insufficiency
Some people may only experience cosmetic concerns over varicose veins, while others also experience aching, pain, and possibly other symptoms. Common symptoms of varicose veins include:
- Throbbing, burning, or tingling of the legs
- Dull achiness or heaviness of the legs
- Fatigue, cramping, muscle soreness, and swelling of the legs
- Pain that is worse with prolonged periods of sitting or standing
- Pain that improves after lying down
- Restless leg syndrome
- Skin discoloration or ulcerations near the ankle
Venous disease can worsen if left untreated, and lead to leg swelling, pain and leg sores.
Treatments for Chronic Venous Insufficiency
MINT offers state-of-the- art, comfortable treatment options combined with shorter wait times, friendly staff, and a skilled medical team. Our treatment objective is to provide a positive experience that restores enjoyment in your life. To assist you, we offer a variety of treatments including: vein ablations, VenaSeal, sclerotherapy, or phlebectomy.
Vein Ablations: During the procedure, a small catheter is guided via ultrasound to the problematic vein and laser or radiofrequency energy is applied, closing the vein. The procedure is quick, only lasting about 20 minutes. The patient will be out of the office within 1 hour of their appointment.
Sclerotherapy: A liquid that destroys damaged veins that cause varicose veins is injected. The body absorbs the damaged veins and uses healthier veins to redirect blood back to the heart. Sclerotherapy is also useful in the treatment of spider veins.
VenaSeal: A medical adhesive is delivered into the vein that closes the veins responsible for causing varicose veins. The procedure does not require sedation and only lasts approximately 20-30 minutes. Patients see immediate cosmetic results and will be able to return to work and normal activities the next day.
Phlebectomy: Phlebectomy is the removal of varicose veins through several tiny incisions made in the skin.
Vein disease affects about 40% of women over 50 years of age
Comparing MINT vein center to other centers.
UFE is a minimally invasive procedure that alleviates fibroid symptoms by decreasing their size in a safe and effective way. UFE works by blocking blood flow to the fibroids, causing them to shrink and symptoms to be remedied. During a UFE procedure, a small “pinhole” incision is made in the groin or wrist area and a tiny catheter is inserted into the blood vessels surrounding the fibroids. Tiny particles pass through the catheter and into the artery, blocking off blood supply to the fibroid(s).
MINT vein center
- Our doctor can treat both deep veins and superficial veins. Both can be causes of vein disease.
- Our doctor received his “vein” training from prestigious institutions such as University of Pittsburgh and Johns Hopkins. These were formal training programs for which he received diplomas.
- Our doctor is board certified to perform minimally invasive procedures.
- At our practice, we never reuse supplies to save money. We always use the best and highest quality supplies for all patients.
Other vein centers
- Other centers may only be able to treat one or the other. Therefore, they may lack the ability to provide a comprehensive assessment and management of your vein disease.
- Many doctors achieved their training from a short weekend course and may not have comprehensive training in venous disease.
- Some doctors do not have formal procedural certifications.
- Some practices may sterilize and reuse supplies. This may or may-not increase infection risk to patients.
20–25 million Americans are estimated to have varicose veins
Frequently Asked Questions
Do You Accept My Insurance?
MINT accepts most major health insurances and insurance covers medical vein disease and their treatments. To ensure your coverage, our insurance verification team will coordinate with your insurance company before treatment.
Is Vein Treatment Covered by Insurance?
MINT accepts most major health insurances and insurance covers medical vein disease and their treatments. To ensure your coverage, our insurance verification team will coordinate with your insurance company before treatment.
How Much are Vein Screenings?
MINT offers complimentary vein screenings.
Is it Okay to Delay Treatment?
The sooner you seek treatment for varicose and spider veins, the higher chance you have for treatment success. If left untreated, varicose and spider veins will continue to worsen, advancing your symptoms.
Will I Need to be Hospitalized?
No hospitalization is necessary, as all our procedures are performed in-house at our state-of-the-art facility.
How Quickly Can I Return to Work?
For certain treatments, such as spider vein treatments, most patients return to work the same day. For others, such as VenaSeal and vein ablations, patients may return to work the following day. Our treatments are intended to have patients return to their normal activities as quickly as possible.
Will My Varicose Veins Come Back After Treatment?
At MINT, our doctors have extensive experience in treating varicose veins and the recurrence rate is low. However, varicose veins are caused by a chronic venous disease that could develop new varicose veins, so the health of your legs should be monitored consistently after the procedure.
Is it Okay to Treat Only My Spider Veins?
Although it is possible to only treat spider veins for cosmetic reasons, we encourage our patients to treat the underlying cause of their spider veins in order to have the best possible outcome.
Is Vein Treatment Painful?
Our treatments are virtually pain-free since we offer twilight sedation to patients receiving vein treatment and have a team that is experienced in minimizing any possible discomfort that is associated with the procedure.
Call us today at (314) 380-0186 for a free screening or consultation
Our Doctor
Dr. Akinwande
Medical Director
Dr. Goke Akinwande (Dr. A) is an extensively published, board certified leader in minimally invasive procedures. His training at prestigious institutions such as the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) and the Johns Hopkins Hospital, as well as his prior faculty position at Washington University/Barnes Jewish Hospital, provided him with the best foundation and ability to deliver optimum care to his patients. He has delivered presentations nationally and internationally and trained several medical students, residents and fellows. Dr. A believes in compassionate evidence-based medicine and is proud to provide this service to the community. Dr. A’s core practice is rooted in increasing patient education and awareness, reducing healthcare disparities and improving access to care.
About The Vein Center at MINT
At MINT, we are a comprehensive vein treatment center. We treat the common varicose vein problems, but also the deep veins and pelvic veins. Therefore, we have a more holistic view and can often achieve a better outcome. Come see us for a consultation today!
At MINT we put patient convenience as our highest priority. We truly believe in compassionate and evidence-based medicine. We have offices conveniently located in St Louis, MO and Swansea, IL and will be adding more in the future. Sometimes, we are contacted by patients who live very far away. For those patients, we provide access to telemedicine so that we can perform the entire initial consultation at your place of convenience. Call us today to schedule a visit or telemedicine consultation. You can also request an online consultation.
What Makes The Vein Center at MINT Different?
1. While some physicians concentrate on certain aspects of venous disease and ignore others, we are one of the few centers in the state of Missouri that treats ALL types of venous conditions. We treat the simple cases to some of the most complicated cases.
2. Some doctors may have learned about vein treatments from a short weekend course. On the other hand, Dr A. was trained in some of the most prestigious centers in the world by world-renowned physicians. His training comes from formal residency and fellowship training programs.
3. When you get treated at MINT, rest assured that you are always treated by a board-certified physician who specializes in minimally invasive, non-surgical procedures.
