It’s Time To Fix Those Veins
You are ready: you know you want to stop by a vein laser center to treat your spider veins or varicose veins. But how do you choose between all of the different vein centers? The doctors at the Schulman Vein and Laser Centers in New York and Long Island have compiled 12 questions to ask of any vein center you are considering. Ask these questions and you’re sure to receive the best vein therapy experience.
Experience, experience, experience.
How much experience does the vein doctor who will be treating you have? The doctors at the Schulman Vein and Laser Center strongly believe ‘practice makes perfect’. The longer a physician has been practicing a specific field, the better they will become as they treat a wider range of patients and cases. You want a vein center with experienced doctors who have specialized in vein therapy for years.
Does the doctor treat all veins or just certain ones?
Some vein center doctors only like to treat enlarged varicose veins, while others only want to treat smaller spider veins. This is inconvenient for the patients. It’s like going to two different restaurants for your appetizer and your main course. Make sure that the doctor you are seeing is equipped to treat all of your veins.
Is the doctor board certified in vein treatment and diagnosis?
Any physician who is a certified Diplomat in Phlebology has shown a greater interest and devotion to venous conditions.
Who is actually treating the patients?
Are physicians seeing patients, or are students, learning residents or nurses attending to patients? Again the more experience anyone has in any field the better they should become. Yes, doctors in training do have to learn on somebody, but wouldn’t you prefer not to be their guinea pig?
Does the vein center offer a variety of treatment methods?
Seeing a doctor who doesn’t offer at least three types of treatment options such as laser therapy, micro surgery and injection treatment is just limiting your chances of getting the best results possible. Your best case scenario is working with a doctor who specializes in veins and knows all of the latest treatment methods for treating spider veins and varicose veins.
Does the vein center only use FDA approved medicines?
While it may be appealing for a physician to use cheaper, non-FDA approved medications, it is absolutely imperative that you as the patient ask for better. FDA-approved medications have stood the test of time and are manufactured to a higher standard than cheaper, imported medications.
Does the vein doctor follow up after procedures?
While some patients may not want to be bothered after treatment, the doctors at the Schulman Vein and Laser Center personally call each new patient the day after treatment starts to make sure they are doing well and to answer any questions they may have. You want your doctor to be available and invested in your health after you leave the vein center offices.
Is the doctor ‘reachable’ after office hours?
Every physician should have an answering service which is directed to an immediate contact or your doctor if a patient has a question or concern when the office is not open.
Does the physician ever give out his personal cell phone number to patients?
As ‘crazy’ as it sounds Dr. Lee G. Schulman gives his own cell number to all patients who have come from out of town, have had a laser or micro surgery procedure and most hand and temple vein patients. “My belief is that there are amazingly few concerns and if there are, it’s just more efficient to let patients contact me directly” says Dr. Schulman.
Is there a vascular laboratory to check the circulation?
Any true vein specialist should have a duplex ultrasound with color flow technology. This is vital in diagnosing blood clots and ‘looking’ at the veins themselves. This vascular assessment is also what is required to determine if a patient is a candidate for treatment and which method of treatment is best suited to the patient’s individual case.
While having a ‘vascular laboratory’ is a bare minimum, its best to also make sure the lab is certified and accredited in vascular testing. This guarantees the testing is done with a high degree of accuracy and competence. This certification is only given to laboratories that have passed a strict certification process and are deemed to be among the most qualified to do vascular testing.
Are the ultrasound technicians also certified?
This means that the physician or the ultrasound technicians are certified as RVT’s (registered vascular technologists). Much like a laboratory must apply and be accepted and approved to be recognized for its competency so should the people working in the laboratory. The RVT designation is only achieved after passing a series of extensive written and photograph examinations and assures you the patient that the work is being done with a high degree of competence.
When searching for a vein center to treat your varicose veins and spider veins, you want complete confidence that you are going to best place for you. Use the above 12 questions to decide whether a vein treatment center meets your standards, and call the Schulman Vein and Laser Centers to discuss your situation and how we can help.